For the first time, Netflix has the top movie in theaters. A singalong version of KPop Demon Hunters is expected to gross $20 million, taking the No. 1 spot at the domestic box office.
That’s despite playing only Saturday and Sunday. It’s a milestone for the streamer, which has long avoided traditional theatrical releases. But Demon Hunters shows Netflix can compete on the big screen, even with a title that’s been streaming since June and has already logged more than 210 million views.
The film, produced by Sony Pictures Animation with a predominantly Korean and Korean-American voice cast, follows a K-pop girl group that moonlights as demon fighters. Its hit single “Golden” topped the Billboard charts and has over 400 million Spotify streams.
Quiet competition helped the movie’s climb: the only other top performer this weekend was Weapons, which earned $15.4 million in its third week. AMC Theatres declined to screen the singalong version, but most major chains didn’t hesitate.
