Netflix’s animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” is projected to take the top spot at the domestic box office this weekend, earning an estimated $18 million to $20 million. This marks the first time a Netflix movie has achieved the number one position in theaters, despite being available on the streaming platform since late June.
The film’s theatrical success is notable, considering it was only playing in theaters for two days of the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) and that Netflix typically does not release its own box office figures. The numbers are preliminary estimates from industry sources. This weekend was relatively quiet in terms of major new releases.
Previously, Apple’s “F1,” distributed by Warner Bros., had a more significant opening of $57 million earlier in the summer, demonstrating the potential for streaming titles in theaters. “Weapons” followed “KPop Demon Hunters” at the box office, earning approximately $15.4 million in its third weekend, bringing its domestic total to $115 million.
Netflix’s approach to theatrical releases has been selective. Rian Johnson’s “Glass Onion” previously had a one-week theatrical run, earning an estimated $15 million. There are also plans for Greta Gerwig’s “Narnia” adaptation, set to be released exclusively on Imax screens next fall.
“KPop Demon Hunters” has already achieved significant success on Netflix, becoming the number two most-watched movie on the platform with over 210 million views. The film, produced by Sony Pictures Animation and featuring a predominantly Korean/Korean American voice cast, centers around a K-Pop girl group that fights demons.
The movie’s soundtrack has also seen success, with the song “Golden” topping the Billboard charts and accumulating over 400 million streams on Spotify. AMC Theatres declined to screen the singalong version of “KPop Demon Hunters” due to their policy of requiring an exclusive theatrical window, but other major chains did show the film.
