K-Pop Demon Hunters Headed Back to Theaters? What Netflix Is Really Doing
Netflix’s biggest hit is heading back to theaters this Halloween. KPop Demon Hunters, the animated musical fantasy that became the streamer’s most-watched movie after its June 2025 debut, returns to the big screen following a limited run in August.
Netflix is taking its breakout animated musical KPop Demon Hunters back to the big screen for Halloween. Yes, Netflix. In theaters. Again. And this time they want you to sing along.
The Halloween plan
- Dates: Oct 31 to Nov 2, 2025
- What: Halloween-themed sing-along screenings of the movie
- Where: 400 AMC theaters worldwide, plus select Regal and Cinemark locations
- Why now: The film dropped on Netflix in June 2025, became the streamer’s most-watched movie, then pulled an impressive $18 million during a limited theatrical run in August (per Box Office Mojo)
- Also: If you would rather stay home, it is still streaming on Netflix
Netflix and AMC are playing nice (again)
Netflix and AMC Theatres are teaming up on the Halloween rollout, which is notable given the two companies have not exactly had a tight commercial relationship lately. That said, they have crossed paths before: AMC hosted Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery over Thanksgiving 2022, and gave Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman a limited theatrical footprint.
An AMC spokesperson confirmed the fresh collaboration and said both sides are open to doing more together beyond this event.
"Discussions are underway as to what that may entail, but no further details are being shared at this time."
About that live-action rumor: the creators say no
The movie’s success kicked up chatter about a sequel (understandable) and a live-action version (less likely). The filmmakers are politely shutting that down. Director Maggie Kang says the tone and comedy are built for animation, and trying to translate it would flatten what makes it work.
"It is really hard to imagine these characters in a live-action world. It would feel too grounded. So, totally it would not work for me."
Co-director Chris Appelhans is on the same page. He argues live-action would handcuff the fun of the thing. In animation, a character like Rumi can pivot from goofball banter to belting a song to a spinning back-kick to free-falling through the sky, all in seconds. You can push and elevate what is possible. He also points out that when animated series get turned into live-action, it often ends up feeling a little stiff.
Bottom line: if you missed KPop Demon Hunters on its first theatrical lap, the Halloween sing-along sounds like the most crowd-pleasing way to catch up. And if you are holding out for a live-action version, do not. This story lives in animation by design.