Netflix’s ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ Ready to Captivate Audiences in Theaters

The singalong version of Netflix’s animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” is estimated to earn between $18 million and $20 million at the box office this weekend, positioning it as the top performer in the domestic market. Notably, the film will only be shown on Saturday and Sunday.

This isn’t the first occasion that a streaming title has led box office sales. Earlier this summer, Apple’s “F1,” released in U.S. theaters by Warner Bros., had a strong debut with $57 million. However, this represents Netflix’s first time claiming the title of the highest-grossing film in theaters.

It’s worth noting that Netflix does not disclose box office numbers, so these figures are early estimates for the weekend derived from multiple industry reports rather than official data from the streaming platform.

The weekend features relatively few significant new releases. Along with “KPop Demon Hunters,” the next big competitor was “Weapons,” which made around $15.4 million in its third weekend, bringing its domestic total to $115 million.

This achievement is especially significant for a company that has typically avoided standard theatrical releases, potentially limiting opportunities for some of its highly acclaimed filmmakers. The closest Netflix has come to a major theatrical release was with Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out” sequel, “Glass Onion,” which earned about $15 million during a limited one-week run. Anticipation is building for Greta Gerwig’s “Narnia” adaptation, expected to perform even better when it premieres exclusively in IMAX theaters this fall.

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

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

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