‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Is So Big It Has Thawed the Netflix–AMC Box Office Cold War

Netflix and AMC Theatres’ relationship has long been hot-and-cold, leaning heavily toward cold. Yet this Halloween, the two longtime holdouts are teaming up to bring KPop Demon Hunters back to the big screen, an almost unthinkable move just a few months ago. When Netflix first released a sing-along version of its summer blockbuster in theaters, AMC refused to screen it. Even so, the film ended that weekend as the highest-grossing title in the U.S., despite skipping one of the country’s largest cinema chains.

Now, from October 31 through November 2, KPop Demon Hunters Sing-Along will screen across all three major U.S. chains, with AMC joining Regal and Cinemark. The film will also return to theaters internationally, including in the U.K., Ireland, Korea, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Australia, and New Zealand.

AMC, the world’s largest theater chain, has historically avoided Netflix titles over disagreements about theatrical windows. In a joint statement, the companies said they were “intrigued by the mutually beneficial opportunities that could arise from this and future collaborations.”

The film’s return to theaters is notable on several fronts. Netflix rarely grants its animated titles a single theatrical run, let alone two, and KPop Demon Hunters is now an exception. Its first limited engagement in August topped the domestic box office with an estimated $17–19 million, despite having been available on Netflix for two months.

For audiences, the Halloween screenings are designed as full-fledged fan events, complete with sing-alongs, encouraged costumes, and new merch. For the industry, KPop Demon Hunters could signal something bigger, perhaps the start of a thaw in the long-frozen relationship between streaming and theatrical exhibition.