India, May 11 -- It was a box-office battle of the sequels as Mortal Kombat II released worldwide this weekend, hoping to wrest the crown from The Devil Wears Prada 2. But the Meryl Streep-starrer continued to rule the roost as Mortal Kombat II fell below expectations in a subpar start.

According to studio estimates, Mortal Kombat II opened its account at the North American box office with $40 million in its first weekend. It was in the second spot, failing to displace The Devil Wears Prada 2, which earned $43 million in its second weekend. The Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, ranked third, bringing in $36 million in its third weekend. On Sunday, Michael surpassed Mortal Kombat II, earning $13.2 million to the video game adaptation's $9....