(Credits: Netflix)

Netflix has done wonders again by just pulling off the kind of stunt nobody thought it could: a two-day, sing-along version of KPop Demon Hunters hit theatres.

Yet another wonder it did; it actually topped the US box office. Yeah, you read that right. Netflix, the streamer that theatres love to side-eye, just had its first-ever number one theatrical weekend. And the way it happened? Totally wild.

From August 22nd to 24th, theatres were packed with fans who weren’t just watching the movie… they were belting out songs, dancing in the aisles, and treating it like a concert disguised as a film screening. Over 1,000 shows sold out across 1,300–1,700 theatres. More importantly, they pulled in somewhere between $18 and $20 million. That is enough to beat out Warner Bros’ Weapons and Disney’s Freakier Friday. All while AMC, still salty with Netflix, refused to show it. Regal, Cinemark, and Alamo Drafthouse were like, “Say less,” and ran with it.

And Netflix knew exactly how to crank up the hype. Surprise appearances? Check. Stars like Arden Cho, May Hong, Ken Jeong, REI AMI, and Kevin Woo popped up at screenings, along with directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans. The Empire State Building? Lit up gold for the occasion. Fans did not just buy tickets… they made it a full-on fandom festival. The best part is, according to Tudum, the sing-along movie will be streaming on Netflix from August 25th.

But here is the kicker: the movie was already a streaming monster. Since its June 20th release, KPop Demon Hunters has become Netflix’s most-watched animated film ever and climbed to number two on its all-time English-language films list with 180 million views on the platform. The sing-along was Netflix’s way of saying, “Hey, let’s keep this fire burning,” and clearly it worked. People who screamed the lyrics in theatres went home and hit replay on Netflix the next day.

The music side of the film is an absolute domination. The soundtrack is sitting at number two on the Billboard 200 with over three billion streams. Three songs, “Golden”, “Your Idol”, and “Soda Pop”, cracked the Hot 100’s Top 10. In fact, “Golden” even hit number one, making it the first female group song to do that since Destiny’s Child back in 2001. Isn’t that insane? Add in heavyweights like TEDDY, Lea Salonga, Kevin Woo, EJAE, and AUDREY NUNA behind the tracks, and you have got yourself a soundtrack that basically doubled as a K-pop chart takeover.

And the industry? Completely in shock. Netflix did not just test a theatrical run; it turned it into a full-blown spectacle. AMC’s refusal only added to the drama, while trade analysts pointed out how Netflix made box office gold during what’s usually a dead zone in August.

Bottom line? KPop Demon Hunters isn’t just a movie anymore. It is a global phenomenon. The kind of franchise that smashes box office records, floods the charts, and owns the Netflix Top 10 at the same time. And if this is what a sing-along version can do, imagine what’s next.

Netflix did not just release a film. It staged an event, lit up New York, and gave us a weekend where streaming, music, and cinema all crashed together into one giant pop culture moment. And honestly? That’s what we call iconic.