The ‘Devil Wears Prada 2’ breaks records as 2025’s most-viewed trailer

Forbes has revealed that the trailer for The Devil Wears Prada 2 became the most-viewed movie preview of 2025, breaking records with an astonishing 181.5 million views in its first 24 hours. The sequel to the beloved 2006 comedy starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway dominated online attention, surpassing other highly anticipated trailers released throughout the year. According to entertainment analytics firm WaveMetrix, this was the most viewed comedy trailer in 15 years of tracking.

A significant portion of the trailer’s success came from Anne Hathaway’s social media presence, with roughly one-third of views generated through her official Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook accounts. The trailer’s release coinciding with Hathaway’s 43rd birthday also added to the buzz, creating a perfect storm of fan engagement.

The top theatrical trailers of 2025 were largely dominated by sequels and franchise films, including live-action Disney remakes. The teaser for Moana (2026) earned 161.2 million views, while the Lilo & Stitch remake drew 149.4 million in the first 24 hours. Other notable trailers included The Fantastic Four: First Steps (144.1 million views) and Toy Story 5 (133.6 million views), confirming the continued dominance of established intellectual properties in cinema marketing.

Interestingly, only one of the most-viewed theatrical trailers was for an original film. Michael, a biopic about Michael Jackson starring his nephew, ranked eighth in the year’s trailer chart. Meanwhile, streaming platforms experienced massive growth in trailer engagement. Netflix, in particular, saw multiple trailers from Stranger Things: Season 5 dominate, with a combined 490 million views across date announcements, teasers, and full-length trailers.

Although theatrical trailer views were slightly down compared to 2024, streaming trailers surged. Views for streaming series trailers rose 146 percent, while streaming movie previews increased 31 percent. Platforms like TikTok played an increasingly important role in promoting trailers, particularly for Disney projects such as Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash, highlighting the shift in how audiences discover and consume movie content.