Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters is ready for the takedown and has certainly proven so, with their meteoric rise over Warner Bros.’ horror movie Weapons, taking home the first place in this week’s box office numbers with an estimated US$18 million two-day opening.
While Netflix has not yet reported the official numbers, the animated K-pop-inspired movie grossed approximately US$9.6 million on 23 August, according to industry sources reported by Deadline, and is estimated to have grossed US$8.4 million one day later. This is part of its limited two-day release in theatres featuring a special “Sing-Along” version of the show, which will also head to Netflix starting today.
Admissions for KPop Demon Hunters, as per EntTelligence, a telecommunication company that provides results analysis for motion picture groups and streaming services, also indicated that 1.5 million tickets were sold over the weekend, with the approximate total gross calculated based on the number of tickets sold and their associated prices.
With Warner Bros. reporting that Weapons’ third weekend stands at US$15.6 million, the preliminary estimates of KPop Demon Hunters’ box office numbers certainly seem to indicate their victory over Weapons, even despite the latter surpassing its forecasted US$13.5 million goal.
The buzz surrounding KPop Demon Hunters has been infectious, as the animated film’s hype has exploded across social platforms, with social media engagement tracker RelishMix reporting a staggering 10.5 billion reach over the past two months, driven by YouTube activity alongside TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X, with the surge including both songs and trailers.
According to Deadline, it also seems that Sony has no regrets about handing the project to Netflix. Part of a US$3 billion content deal, the streamer paid US$100 million plus US$25 million to Sony, with all animation handled by Sony ImageWorks. Sequels and spinoffs remain in Sony’s hands, however, and according to insiders, will still be profitable for the entertainment giant.
Netflix has only booked KPop Demon Hunters for a two-day release in theatres so far, but given the profitable opening weekend it has enjoyed, it won’t be surprising if additional screenings will be greenlit in the future.
Conversation with Ting Wei is like chatting with a weird AI bot programmed only with One Piece lore and theories, sitcom quotes and other miscellaneous pop culture references. When he’s not sleeping, he’s highly likely reading manga. In fact, the only thing he reads more than manga is the Bible, and it’s honestly pretty close.
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Kevin Low
