Topline
Netflix’s smash hit “KPop Demon Hunters” could conquer the box office this weekend thanks to a limited sing-along release in movie theaters, adding to its global dominance on Netflix and the music charts with its blockbuster soundtrack.
“KPop Demon Hunters” will screen in nearly 2,000 U.S. and Canada theaters this weekend as part of a two-day theatrical release where audiences are encouraged to sing along with the fictional girl group’s chart-topping soundtrack.
By Wednesday, more than 1,100 screenings had already sold out, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
In just two days, the movie could gross as much as $15 million, Deadline reported, which could beat the projected total of $13.5 million for its closest challenger, horror movie hit “Weapons.”
“KPop Demon Hunters” could also win this weekend because of the lack of major releases: “Weapons” is a holdover from two weeks ago, and this weekend’s release schedule is barren aside from “Honey Don’t,” the Ethan Coen-directed film opening in wide release.
Conquering the box office would add to the film’s accolades, as it currently sits atop Netflix’s movie charts, and the movie’s soundtrack and song “Golden” both lead Spotify’s weekly global album charts.
“KPop Demon Hunters,” just two months after release, ranks as Netflix’s second most-watched movie of all time with more than 210 million views. The movie is just 20 million views away from taking the crown from “Red Notice,” a 2021 Netflix original action comedy film. The film has held steady on Netflix’s weekly charts since its release. For the week ending Aug. 17, it earned 26 million views—a slight increase from the week prior. The soundtrack, with original songs sung by the movie’s fictional girl group Huntr/x, has also shattered a host of records on the Billboard and Spotify charts. The movie’s most popular song, “Golden,” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 last week, and although it dipped to No. 2 this week, the group still ranks three songs in the Hot 100’s top ten. Huntr/x is the first K-pop girl group to top the Hot 100, and the first girl group to lead the chart in almost a quarter-century since Destiny’s Child’s “Bootylicious.” On the Billboard 200 albums chart, the soundtrack ranks No. 2, only behind chart juggernaut Morgan Wallen.
The movie’s expected success at the box office is a small reprieve for what is otherwise a weak end-of-summer for moviegoing. After the success of “Weapons,” which has led the box office for two straight weekends, the coming weeks don’t have any expected blockbusters on the release calendar. Though the summer had several hits, like “Jurassic World: Rebirth” and “Superman,” analysts worry the summer could fall below expectations, possibly below the 2024 summer movie season. Comscore analysts told the Hollywood Reporter the summer is on track to gross $3.75 billion, below the $4 billion some had hoped for. At the midpoint of 2025, the box office was up 16% over the same timeframe in 2024, according to data shared with Forbes by Comscore, partially thanks to a strong April and May, buoyed by hits like “A Minecraft Movie” and “Sinners.”
“KPop Demon Hunters” follows Huntr/x, a fictional girl group who lead secret double lives as demon slayers. In the film, they face off against the Saja Boys, a rival boy group who are actually demons. The movie has been a success with critics, earning a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with many praising the animation and the music.