Today : Aug 27, 2025
Arts & Culture
26 August 2025

Netflixs KPop Demon Hunters Tops Box Office Charts

A surprise theatrical run for the streaming hit brings sold-out screenings, shakes up summer box office expectations, and sparks debate about the future of movie releases.

In an unexpected twist for the summer box office, Netflix's animated musical "KPop Demon Hunters" has stormed to the top spot, becoming the first film from the streaming giant to claim the No. 1 position at the domestic box office. The sing-along version of the movie, released in theaters for just one weekend on August 23 and 24, 2025, sold out more than 1,000 screens and grossed an estimated $18 million, according to Box Office Mojo. This achievement is particularly striking given that the movie had already been available on Netflix since June 20, 2025, amassing over 210 million views and cementing its place as the platform's most-watched original animated film and second most-popular English-language movie overall.

"KPop Demon Hunters" tells the story of a girl group who use catchy K-pop tunes to battle evil, blending vibrant animation with a soundtrack that has resonated across generations. Its cultural impact has been significant, with its music climbing charts, memes proliferating online, and parents—especially millennials—gushing about it in group chats. The movie’s viral status has been described as a phenomenon, with David A. Gross of FranchiseRe noting, "It’s doing what it’s supposed to do. The movie arrived as a phenomenon, and the phenomenon is growing." He compared its explosive debut to the first two days of Beyoncé’s and Taylor Swift’s concert films, both of which were built on "fanatical entertainment experiences."

The film’s theatrical run was a calculated risk for Netflix, a company that has long had a complicated, sometimes tense relationship with the traditional movie business. Netflix typically uses limited theatrical releases as marketing tools, for awards consideration, or to appease filmmakers who value the big-screen experience. As the Los Angeles Times reported, Co-Chief Executive Ted Sarandos has previously called the theatrical business "outdated" for most people, pointing to weak box office numbers after the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the success of "KPop Demon Hunters" has prompted some industry watchers to wonder if Netflix might reconsider its stance.

Shawn Robbins, director of analytics at Fandango and founder of Box Office Theory, remarked, "It caught a lot of people off guard for the last few weeks, in terms of how popular it was. Its ability to surprise everyone in the industry says a lot for a movie that a lot of people had already watched many, many times." Robbins also highlighted the potential for future collaboration between Netflix and theater owners, saying, "This type of success is good for everybody. This weekend should be taken as a positive step toward how they can work together in the future."

The sing-along screenings, which played in more than 1,750 locations domestically and recorded over 1,150 sold-out showings (though notably not in AMC theaters), drew packed houses. Theater operators, facing a sluggish August with few major studio releases, were relieved to have a crowd-pleaser—even for just two days. The Los Angeles Times pointed out that the summer box office season, which runs from the first Friday of May through Labor Day, is expected to close with about $3.5 billion in revenue, either roughly flat or slightly down from last year’s already modest numbers. By pre-pandemic standards, more than $4 billion would be considered healthy.

Comparisons with other summer releases underscore the significance of "KPop Demon Hunters." Disney’s live-action remake of "Lilo & Stitch" was the summer’s biggest hit, hauling in $422 million in the U.S. and Canada and over $1 billion globally. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Pictures’ "Weapons" earned $15.6 million in its third weekend, bringing its total to about $115.8 million, and Disney's "Freakier Friday" took in $9.2 million. Marvel’s "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" added $5.9 million, pushing its cumulative domestic earnings to roughly $257 million. Despite these successes, the overall summer haul has been less robust than hoped, making Netflix’s surprise box office victory all the more notable.

Netflix’s strategy of releasing the sing-along version in theaters weeks after the film’s streaming debut was unconventional, but it paid off handsomely. The sing-along version was made available on Netflix’s platform on August 25, 2025, immediately following its limited theatrical engagement. This approach allowed the film to build momentum online, leveraging its viral appeal before drawing fans into theaters for a communal experience. According to the Los Angeles Times, more than 210 million global views have made "KPop Demon Hunters" not only the most-watched animated movie ever on Netflix but also a contender to surpass "Red Notice" as the company’s most popular film overall.

The movie’s success is also a testament to the power of streaming-first releases in the current entertainment landscape. While traditionalists in Hollywood have long argued that theatrical runs are essential for building cultural cachet, "KPop Demon Hunters" demonstrates that a film can become a sensation without the backing of a massive advertising campaign or a wide theatrical rollout. Netflix’s recent release of "Happy Gilmore 2" further supports this notion, as the Adam Sandler sequel scored 46.7 million views in its first three days and set a Nielsen record for the most-watched streaming movie in a single week.

Some industry insiders and rivals still believe that theatrical releases boost a movie’s streaming performance—a theme echoed by Paramount’s new owners as they seek to expand their direct-to-consumer business. Yet, as the Los Angeles Times observed, Netflix seems more committed than ever to its streaming-first philosophy. The company views the triumph of "KPop Demon Hunters" as validation that films can resonate culturally and commercially without relying on the traditional box office model.

The film’s appeal is rooted in its cultural specificity and universal themes. With a storyline centered on friendship and belonging, and a soundtrack that rides the wave of global fascination with South Korean pop culture, "KPop Demon Hunters" feels very much of the moment. A colleague of the Los Angeles Times described it as "a sort of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ meets ‘Frozen,’" capturing both its genre-bending creativity and its broad appeal. While it remains to be seen whether the film will have the enduring influence of Disney’s "Frozen" or "Moana," its immediate impact is undeniable.

As the summer box office season draws to a close, "KPop Demon Hunters" stands out as a rare bright spot in an otherwise subdued market. Its success has sparked conversations about the future of movie distribution and the evolving relationship between streaming platforms and theaters. Whether Netflix will adjust its strategy in light of this success remains to be seen, but for now, the company has proven that it can compete—and win—on both the small screen and the big one.

In a summer defined by uncertainty and shifting industry norms, "KPop Demon Hunters" has offered a much-needed jolt of excitement, proving that the next big hit can come from the most unexpected places.