Netflix’s animated film KPop Demon Hunters has made a significant impact at the box office, with its singalong version projected to earn between $18 million and $20 million over the weekend. This achievement positions it as the top-grossing movie domestically, despite being available in theaters only on Saturday and Sunday.
This milestone marks the first time a Netflix production has led the box office, following in the footsteps of other streaming titles like Apple’s F1, which debuted with $57 million earlier this summer. It’s important to note that Netflix does not publicly disclose box office figures; these estimates are based on industry analyses.
The weekend was relatively quiet in terms of new releases. The second-highest earner was Weapons, which garnered approximately $15.4 million in its third weekend, bringing its domestic total to $115 million.
This success is particularly noteworthy for Netflix, a company that has traditionally eschewed conventional theatrical releases. Previously, the streaming giant offered a one-week theatrical run for Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion, which earned an estimated $15 million. Looking ahead, Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of Narnia is anticipated to achieve even greater box office success when it debuts exclusively on IMAX screens next fall.
KPop Demon Hunters has been available for streaming since late June and has already amassed over 210 million views, securing the second spot on Netflix’s all-time most-watched movies list, nestled between Red Notice and Carry-On.
Produced by Sony Pictures Animation, the film features a predominantly Korean and Korean American voice cast. The storyline revolves around a K-Pop girl group that doubles as demon hunters, facing off against adversaries, including a rival boy band. The film’s soundtrack has also made waves, with the song Golden topping the Billboard charts and surpassing 400 million streams on Spotify.
In line with its policy of requiring exclusive theatrical windows, AMC Theatres declined to screen the singalong version of KPop Demon Hunters. However, it was the only major chain to do so, as other theaters embraced the film’s unique offering.
