As predicted, KPop Demon Hunters was the #1 movie in America this past weekend, edging out Warner Bros.' horror film, Weapons. However, the animated Netflix musical exceeded expectations, grossing an estimated $19+ million, crushing its initial projection of $15 million.
Sadly, Netflix doesn't officially release numbers for any of its limited theatrical releases, so we'll likely never have exact numbers. However, this proves that there's a ton of interest in the film and lends support to an argument that if a sequel were to receive a theatrical release, it would likely be a box office juggernaut.
KPop Demon Hunters, co-written and co-directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, follows the thrilling adventures of Rumi (Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong), and Zoey (Ji-young Yoo), three young-adult pop idols who make up the group Huntr/x. Born into an ancient lineage of demon slayers, the trio must balance their glamorous careers with the dangerous responsibility of combating supernatural threats.
Their skills are put to the ultimate test when their most formidable demonic adversary (Lee Byung-hun) orchestrates the rise of a rival K-pop boy band designed to siphon the souls of unsuspecting fans.
Faced with this sinister challenge, Rumi, Mira, and Zoey must fight with everything they’ve got to protect both the world and the bond that holds them together.
Adding a meta layer of intrigue, the two fictional K-pop groups portrayed in the film have skyrocketed in popularity, achieving chart-topping success that rivals real-world sensations like BTS and Blackpink, cementing the movie’s blend of supernatural action and pop culture spectacle.
"When they aren’t selling out stadiums, Kpop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey use their secret identities as badass demon hunters to protect their fans from an ever-present supernatural threat. Together, they must face their biggest enemy yet – an irresistible rival boy band of demons in disguise.”