The animated musical hit KPop Demon Hunters is staging a triumphant return, not on streaming, but in theaters. Its upcoming sing-along event is expected to rake in between $16 million and $22 million over the weekend of August 23–24. As reported by international media outlets, it will potentially top the North American box office and take over Weapons, which is in its third weekend.
This special theatrical run is playing across 1,700+ theaters in the U.S. and Canada, with many showings already sold out. The film, a global phenomenon since launching on Netflix in June 2025, follows the K-pop girl group HUNTR/X, Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, as they double as demon hunters when they’re not performing on stage.
Since its release on June 20, 2025, KPop Demon Hunters became Netflix’s most-watched animated original and its second most-watched English-language film, amassing over 210 million views, just behind Ryan Reynolds and Dwayne Johnson’s Red Notice (230.6 million).
Its soundtrack exploded in popularity. Golden, performed by the fictional group HUNTR/X (voices by Ejae, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami), hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100—a first for a K-pop girl group, fictional or real. The album debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200, climbed to No. 2, and became 2025’s highest-charting animated soundtrack.
On the festival front, the Busan International Film Festival will host Korea’s first sing-along screening of the film at Dongseo University’s Sohyang Theater, with full details to be announced later.
Behind the scenes, directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans have suggested expanding the story further. As per reports, it will expand into a full franchise, with two sequels, a musical, and a live adaptation on the way.
This two-day event is more than a screening, it’s a full fan experience, enabling audiences to sing along to hits like Soda Pop, Golden, and Your Idol, live in the cinema. It reframes a streaming success into a theatrical event, just when cinemas could use a summer blockbuster.
If projections hold, KPop Demon Hunters may claim one of the highest-grossing weekend openings among films that started on streaming rather than in theaters.
