Netflix appears to have its first No. 1 box-office title after KPop Demon Hunters led weekend ticket sales with studio estimates of $16–18 million. Rival studios provided estimates anonymously because Netflix does not report theatrical ticket sales. The streamer staged sing-along screenings in 1,750 theaters on Saturday and Sunday, creating an uncommon two-day musical event and wider variance in estimates. Some estimates reached as high as $20 million. The film was developed and produced by Sony Pictures and later sold to Netflix. The movie debuted on the platform in late June and is currently Netflix's most-watched animated original.
Distribution executives from three studios shared their estimates for the Netflix phenomenon on condition of anonymity because the streaming company has a policy of not reporting ticket sales. Following a dominating few weeks as one of the most popular Netflix releases ever, the streamer put the film into 1,750 theaters for sing-along screenings Saturday and Sunday. Studios are able to accurately estimate ticket sales for all releases on Sunday morning, though the uncommon nature of the KPop Demon Hunters releases means a wider variance.
It amounted to a victory lap for KPop Demon Hunters, arguably the biggest hit of Hollywood's summer, and an ironic success for Netflix, whose emphasis on streaming, not theatrical release, upended the movie industry. Another sore spot for Hollywood: The film was developed and produced by Sony Pictures, which sold it to Netflix. Not all exhibitors went along. AMC, the largest theater chain in North America, declined to show the movie.
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