'KPop Demon Hunters' opens with $18M to claim Netflix’s first No. 1 box office win

Netflix’s 'KPop Demon Hunters' secures $18M opening, topping 'Weapons' for the streamer’s first box office No. 1.

Netflix has claimed its first-ever No. 1 box office win with the release of KPop Demon Hunters, which opened to an estimated $18 million across a two-day theatrical run.

The Sony Pictures Animation and Netflix anime edged out Warner Bros’ horror title Weapons, which collected $15.6 million in its third weekend, bringing its total to $115.8 million.

Directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, KPop Demon Hunters generated $9.6 million on Saturday and a further $8.4 million on Sunday. 

The film’s momentum has been fuelled by an extensive social media campaign, with RelishMix reporting a combined reach of 10.5 billion across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X.

Fans have widely praised the film’s soundtrack, animation quality and unique blend of K-pop and anime storytelling, with some comparing its visuals to Spider-Verse and Big Hero 6.

KPop Demon Hunters was acquired by Netflix as part of a $3 billion content deal with Sony. The film cost $100 million to produce, with an additional $25 million paid to Sony. Sony ImageWorks handled animation, and the studio will continue to be attached to sequels and spin-offs.