New Delhi, May 11 -- In a tightly fought battle between two major franchise sequels, The Devil Wears Prada 2 has emerged as the weekend's top performer at the North American box office, edging out the highly anticipated debut of Mortal Kombat II.

According to studio estimates released on Sunday, the fashion-focused sequel earned $43 million (£34 million) in its second weekend in cinemas, narrowly ahead of Mortal Kombat II, which opened to $40 million (£31.7 million) across North America. The margin was slim, but enough to keep the 20th Century Studios release at number one for a second consecutive week.

The result marks another strong showing for The Devil Wears Prada 2, which has continued to build momentum since its opening....