KPop Demon Hunters became Netflix’s most-watched original title, and now the streamer is betting its biggest hits will play better in theaters. The company has announced that KPop Demon Hunters 2 will skip the usual streaming-first window and open with a wide theatrical release.
“When the KPop Demon Hunters sequel comes, you can expect a very broad theatrical release,” Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said at Bloomberg Screentime in Los Angeles on Sept. 30.
The decision follows a limited theatrical run for the original. KPop Demon Hunters screened for two days in August 2025 before returning to theaters from Oct. 30 through Nov. 2. It grossed between $18 to $20 million across 1,700 North American theaters.
What Netflix Is Doing
Netflix is changing how it handles movie releases entirely. The company is best known for dropping TV shows and films directly onto subscribers’ screens. Now it is testing a wider theatrical window for select titles.
- La Bola Negra gets a full 45-day run, the longest Netflix has given a film yet.
- Greta Gerwig’s Narnia will also play in theaters.
- An animated adaptation of Charlie vs. The Chocolate Factory joins the slate.
- The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth, written by Quentin Tarantino, directed by David Fincher, and starring Brad Pitt, becomes the first Netflix film to get an IMAX release, coming this November.
The move puts Netflix in direct competition with traditional studios. Sarandos acknowledged the risk in balancing theatrical plans with long-term value for the streamer.
“How do we serve movie lovers who may want to see this movie in a theater, and how do we not harm value to Netflix?” he asked. “How do we position the film best in the world?”
Why KPop Demon Hunters Matters
KPop Demon Hunters follows a K-pop girl group by day and demon hunters by night. Its theatrical run showed strong demand, even after it debuted on Netflix first. Sarandos noted that the most passionate audience saw it in theaters.
“By the time it comes to Netflix, you’ve lost that passionate audience, and you got the people that go, ‘Oh, I meant to see that,’ or ‘I’ll get around to that,'” he said.
That framing suggests Netflix wants the biggest crowds first, before the film lands on the service. The original appealed to a wide range of demographics, which made it a natural candidate for the experiment.
What Comes Next
Netflix is still figuring out which titles deserve a theatrical push. Sarandos must weigh niche, art-house films against broader-appeal titles like KPop Demon Hunters 2.
It is hard to imagine the strategy failing for mass-market franchises. But there is a fine balance between doing well on streaming and on the silver screen. Whether it pays off for Netflix remains to be seen.
For now, the message is clear: Netflix heard its fans, and it is willing to put its biggest hits on the big screen first.
See the video the story is built around at Polygon.
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