If you couldn’t make it to a sing-along screening of KPop Demon Hunters during its one-weekend theatrical run from Aug. 22-24, don’t fret: Netflix already dropped the full-length sing-along version of the movie to its streaming platform. It’s globally available now for your at-home karaoke needs.
It’s no surprise that Netflix immediately brought the sing-along version to its platform, given the theatrical release’s success. It scored big, bringing in $18 to $20 million in North American theaters like Regal, Cinemark, and Alamo Drafthouse. The limited theatrical screening event, which reached 2,180 theaters across the U.S., Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand proved exceedingly popular, with Netflix reporting there more than 1,300 sold-out screenings across the US and Canada. No matter how you slice it, the sing-along KPop Demon Hunters did amazingly well.
KPop Demon Hunters follows Korean girl-band HUNTR/X members Rumi, Zoey and Mira. When they aren’t selling out arenas, they’re using their music to fight back demons who are want to cross over from the demonic world and steal human souls. Using their voices to inspire mystical emotional connections in their fans, the HUNTR/X team plans to seal the border between the worlds for good, but they face trouble when the demons try a new trick: a demon boy-band known as Saja Boys.
Since its release in June, KPop Demon Hunters has become a cultural phenomenon that’s all but guaranteed to get a sequel sometime in the future. It’s even smashed a milestone that hasn’t been accomplished by a girl group since Destiny’s Child: HUNTR/X’s catchy tune “Golden” took the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. That’s not even acknowledging the overwhelming number of YouTubers releasing covers of songs from the popular film, nor the fanfiction writers who are putting in the work to expand the KPop Demon Hunters world each and every day for their own amusement. I have to admire the dedication.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Netflix took further opportunities to extend the theatrical release for Sony Animation’s smash hit, but for now, the streamer is looking to catch viewers a little closer to home. Great news for anyone who either a) hasn’t watched the movie yet or b) has watched it, but feels more comfortable belting out the lyrics in the comfort of their own home rather than a crowded theater.
