Kamal Ghorui
As ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2′ rakes in the big bucks at the box office, new reports are revealing details about the star casts’ huge pay packages, including bonuses they stand to receive on the film’s global success.The film’s leading ladies Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt, are reportedly cashing in on the fashion drama’s success, with reports confirming huge paydays for the trio. Variety reported on Saturday, that the three leading ladies, each secured major upfront fees along with box office performance-linked bonuses.Academy Award winner Meryl Streep, who reprises her role as the character Miranda Priestly, reportedly earned a USD 12.5 million salary for returning to the David Frankel-directed sequel. The report states that Streep was considered the most critical creative and commercial draw for the project, prompting 0th Century Studios to structure a highly competitive deal. Streep is said to have shared parity in negotiations with her co-stars – Anne Hathaway, who plays Andrea Sachs, and Emily Blunt playing the role of Emily Charlton. Both actresses reportedly received USD 12.5 million each to reprise their roles.Beyond their upfront salaries, all three actors are also in for huge box office bonuses. These will, however, be tied to pre-agreed global box office milestones. The sequel to the 2006 hit ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ has already grossed USD 300 million worldwide and counting.With the film’s early success, these performance incentives have already begun triggering payouts. If the film manages to maintain its grip over the box office and continues its golden run, the leading stars could ultimately earn well over USD 20 million from the project.The sequel that hit the big screens on May 1, is now entering its second weekend at the box office, where it is expected to compete for the top box office position against ‘Mortal Kombat II’. Early projections suggest ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ could earn up to USD 42 million this weekend, thus pushing its global total further past the USD 300 million mark.In India, the film has maintained a steady grip over the box office, keeping its weekday collections above the Rs 1 crore mark. This, coupled with the film’s opening weekend collections, has set it on course to hit the Rs 20 crore mark today.
