New Delhi, May 2 -- The Devil Wears Prada 2 has made a commanding debut at the North American box office, comfortably overtaking last weekend's chart-topper Michael and signalling one of the strongest openings of the year for a female-led sequel.

The fashion drama sequel, starring Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci, collected $32.5 million on Friday alone from 4,150 theatres across North America, including preview earnings, according to early studio estimates. Industry projections now place its opening weekend earnings between $75 million and $80 million, although some trade analysts believe the film could climb closer to $90 million by Sunday if momentum continues.

The opening marks a dramatic leap from the orig...