Netflix’s ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ Poised to captivate Theaters

The singalong version of Netflix’s animated feature “KPop Demon Hunters” is anticipated to generate between $18 million and $20 million at the box office this weekend, positioning it at the forefront of the domestic box office. Notably, the film is set to show exclusively on Saturday and Sunday.

This isn’t the first time a streaming title has led box office sales. Earlier this summer, Apple’s “F1,” released in U.S. theaters by Warner Bros., had a solid opening of $57 million. However, this is the first instance in which Netflix has claimed the title of the top-grossing film in theaters.

It is essential to note that Netflix does not release box office data, so these figures are initial weekend estimates sourced from various industry reports rather than official numbers from the streaming service.

This weekend has seen relatively few major new releases. Besides “KPop Demon Hunters,” the next high earner was “Weapons,” which took in about $15.4 million during its third weekend, bringing its domestic total to $115 million.

This achievement is particularly significant for a company that has traditionally avoided standard theatrical releases, a choice that might have limited some of its most celebrated filmmakers. The closest Netflix has come to a major theatrical release was with Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out” sequel “Glass Onion,” which garnered around $15 million in theaters during a limited one-week run. Looking ahead, Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of “Narnia” is expected to perform even better when it debuts exclusively on IMAX screens next fall.

This success is also remarkable for a film that has been streaming since late June, currently ranking as the second most-viewed film on Netflix’s all-time list, with over 210 million views, nestled between “Red Notice” and “Carry-On.”

Created by Sony Pictures Animation and featuring a predominantly Korean/Korean American voice cast, “KPop Demon Hunters” follows a K-Pop girl group as they battle demons, including a rival boy band. The song “Golden” from the film’s soundtrack has soared to the top of the Billboard charts and accumulated over 400 million streams on Spotify.

In line with its policy of not screening films without an exclusive theatrical window, AMC Theatres opted not to show the singalong version of “KPop Demon Hunters,” although it was the sole major chain to take this position.