Netflix “KPop Demon Hunters” Opens Big at Weekend Box Office!

Yes, you read that right. The Netflix animated movie KPop Demon Hunters debuted at the top of the weekend box office with an estimated $18 million.

With KPop Demon Hunters becoming an incredibly successful hit for the streaming giant, Netflix decided to capitalize on the popularity by releasing a sing-along version of the movie in theatres. Even though it was a limited weekend release, KPop Demon Hunters still managed to collect millions across 1,700 theatres in North America. You can visit TikTok and Twitter to see just how much fun attendees had during the screenings.

For those who might not be familiar (where have you been?), KPop Demon Hunters follows, as the name states, a trio of K-pop idols who secretly protect humankind from the demon realm. Of course, singing plays a huge role in said protection, with the trio, named Huntr/x, tasked with achieving the Golden Honmoon by connecting everyone through the power of song. Their mission is jeopardized when a demon named Jinu decides it’s time to fight fire with fire. Instead of outright attacking the trio and failing, it’s better to create a rival K-pop boy band to steal the Huntr/x fans and dissipate the Honmoon in the process.

While humorous and action-heavy, the emotional beats in the movie (produced by Sony Pictures Animation) come via the dynamics between the Huntr/x as well as Rumi’s struggle with her heritage. The project was released on Netflix on June 20, 2025.

I really enjoyed watching it. You can read my review below. I need a sequel ASAP!

The box office collection, stellar reviews, and the songs being in the Top 10 of Billboard’s Hot 100 chart are sure to cement Netflix’s desire to campaign for KPop Demon Hunters during the Oscar race. And I’m here for it. Not only is it an enjoyable movie, but the animation is so good!

Weapons came in second place with an estimated $15.4 million during the third weekend. As of yet, it has grossed $200 million worldwide against a reported production budget of $38 million. It’s a successful horror movie. However, it’s no Sinners. As I stated in my review of Weapons, the project doesn’t seem to have much to say narratively, which could be a reason for not having a higher box office collection. You watch it and move on. Weapons doesn’t have the ingredients to encourage discussions and think pieces the way Sinners does. So, yeah, I hope Sinners gets an Oscar push.

Freakier Friday placed third with an approximate $8.8 million, pushing the global haul to $113 million. Would I have liked it to do better? Yes. But it is what it is. I’m just glad we got an actual, well-written sequel to the iconic Freaky Friday instead of some undercooked nostalgia bait. Binge-watching both movies is going to be fun down the line.

Fantastic Four: First Steps continued to struggle. The worldwide total currently stands at $490 million, which, yeah, it’s not the best for an MCU outing. I’m very curious about how much of a presence the Fantastic Four will have in the upcoming Avengers Doomsday after such numbers.

August 22 – August 24, 2025 Weekend Box Office

1. KPop Demon Hunters – $18 million
2. Weapons – $15.4 million
3. Freakier Friday – $8.8 million
4. The Fantastic Four: First Steps – $6 million
5. The Bad Guys 2 – $5.1 million
6. Nobody 2 – $3.7 million
7. Superman – $3.4 million
8. Honey Don’t! – $3 million
9. The Naked Gun – $2.9 million
10. Jurassic World Rebirth – $2.1 million

New release Honey Don’t is a queer film that stars Margaret Qualley as Honey O’Donahue, a private investigator, along with Aubrey Plaza, Chris Evans, and Charlie Day. Directed by Ethan Coen, who co-wrote it with Tricia Cooke, the premise follows Honey trying to investigate a murder linked to a religious cult.

The trailer looks fun, in a camp kind of way. However, the Rotten Tomatoes score is 45% Critic and a mere 43% Audience rating. So, that gave me pause to check it out in theatres. Maybe I’ll see it on Digital down the line.

Did you attend the KPop Demon Hunters sing-along release? Did you watch Honey Don’t?

Let us know.

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(via Box Office Mojo)

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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