Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters 2: Theatrical Release Could Dominate Box Office

Netflix is now officially working on a KPop Demon Hunters sequel (as if there was ever any doubt they would make one), and the streamer finally has the chance to dominate the box office with a true theatrical phenomenon. At the latest Oscars ceremony, host Conan O’Brien ribbed Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos for his aversion to theaters, comparing him to a Bond villain who wants to rob the world of this communal experience to line his own pockets.

It was one of the best jokes of the night, because there’s a lot of truth in it. No matter what Sarandos said during his campaign to acquire Warner Bros., Netflix is undoubtedly anti-theater. The death of theaters would be a massive boon for Netflix’s minutes-watched statistics, so it’s in Sarandos’ best interests as the company’s CEO to singlehandedly destroy the theatrical side of the film industry.

But the other streamers have found that a theatrical hit can be quite lucrative, and actually boost the streaming numbers with a perceived air of prestige. Amazon recently had a smash hit with Project Hail Mary. Last year, Apple’s F1 became a bona fide blockbuster. With KPop Demon Hunters 2 now officially confirmed, I hope Netflix is ready to follow in their footsteps.

Netflix Would Be Foolish Not To Release KPop Demon Hunters 2 In Theaters

Netflix sends most of its movies straight to the streaming service. The only Netflix movies that get a theatrical release at all are the ones they think will be major Oscar contenders — and even then, they only give them the bare minimum number of screens and days to qualify them for awards contention (or whatever an auteur like Guillermo del Toro demanded in their contract).

But if there was ever a Netflix movie that demanded a full, proper theatrical release, it’s KPop Demon Hunters 2. It’s the kind of mass-market family entertainment that can gross $1 billion without even really trying, like Moana 2 or The Super Mario Bros. Movie. It would make F1 and Project Hail Mary look like small potatoes in comparison.

If Netflix gives the KPop Demon Hunters sequel a real theatrical release, it will 100% be the #1 movie in the world for at least the first weekend (and probably two or three more after that). Releasing KPop Demon Hunters 2 in theaters can barely be considered a business strategy; it’s tantamount to printing money. KPop Demon Hunters itself topped the box office last year, and that was after it had already been streaming on Netflix for weeks.

Even if they release it on the same day as one of Disney’s Avengers movies or one of Warner’s The Batman movies or one of Universal’s Fast & Furious movies, KPop Demon Hunters 2 will top the box office. It just needs a chance to do so, which would require Netflix doing the exact opposite of its business model with what is easily its hottest property.

KPop Demon Hunters 2 Could Be The New High School Musical 3

If KPop Demon Hunters 2 goes to theaters and becomes a genuine blockbuster, it won’t be the first time a made-for-TV movie franchise made the leap from the small screen to the big screen. High School Musical started off as a DCOM, or Disney Channel Original Movie, and High School Musical 2 stayed a DCOM. But High School Musical 3: Senior Year closed out the best trilogy since The Godfather with a glorious big-screen release.

Unsurprisingly, the gamble paid off. The millions of fans who’d watched the first two DCOMs raced out to their local theater to see the conclusion of Troy and Gabriella’s story. KPop Demon Hunters 2 could be High School Musical 3 for a new generation. KPop Demon Hunters is the most-watched movie in Netflix history, and it actually feels like a real movie. People will definitely show up to see the next one in a theater.