Netflix and AMC Bury the Hatchet as KPop Demon Hunters Haunts Theaters This Halloween
Fresh off topping Netflix as the streamer’s highest-grossing original and eclipsing Knives Out, KPop Demon Hunters Sing-along returns to theaters for Halloween weekend, with AMC and Regal leading the rerelease; the 95-minute fan favorite boasts a 7.6 IMDb score, a 95% critics/99% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, and a reported $18 million box office haul.
Netflix and AMC are doing that thing again where sworn rivals grab coffee like nothing happened. The KPop Demon Hunters Sing-along is coming back to theaters for Halloween weekend, riding the momentum of a monster run on Netflix that, yes, the streamer says topped Knives Out numbers to become its highest-grossing original. Short, loud, and very on-brand for spooky season.
The Halloween encore
AMC is leading the re-release, with Regal and Cinemark also on board (Deadline first flagged it). The sing-along version plays October 31 through November 2. It is, ironically, a tiny theatrical window considering AMC boss Adam Aron has been adamant that Netflix needs to respect longer runs if they want to play ball with big chains.
'We need a respectable theatrical window because if I do something for Netflix, a two-week window or something, how do I say to Disney, or Warner Bros., or Sony, or Paramount, "Yeah, but for you it’s 45 days." It’s not right.'
- AMC CEO Adam Aron, on The Town podcast
In practice, Demon Hunters is getting just three days. Still, the scale is bigger than last time: the movie is set to play in 400 AMC locations worldwide, with Regal and Cinemark also booking dates. That is a notable thaw after earlier friction over the movie’s first sing-along run and, more broadly, Netflix’s short-window strategy.
Why this deal is surprising (and why it might stick)
AMC previously ran Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery over Thanksgiving, and it didn’t meaningfully change the cold war between the streamer and the chains. Different business models, no shared playbook, stalemate. Netflix stayed streaming-first, period.
So, this new pact is interesting. Details are under wraps, and no one is saying this is a permanent truce. AMC has flirted with working with Netflix before, even as they clashed over things like The Irishman’s theatrical play. Consider this a pragmatic, limited test that could help both sides: AMC fills seats on a holiday weekend, Netflix keeps the social buzz humming for a title that is already dominating at home.
Vitals at a glance
- What: KPop Demon Hunters Sing-along (theatrical re-release)
- When: October 31 to November 2
- Where: 400 AMC theaters worldwide, plus select Regal and Cinemark
- Runtime: 95 minutes
- Reported box office to date: $18M
- IMDb: 7.6
- Rotten Tomatoes: 95% Tomatometer / 99% Audience
- Netflix performance: Streamer’s highest-grossing original, surpassing Knives Out’s numbers
About that live-action rumor: nope
The movie’s blowout success naturally sparked talk of sequels and, inevitably, a live-action version. Directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans shut that down in a BBC interview. Kang says these characters just don’t translate to live action. Appelhans echoed it, arguing that the elasticity of animation is the point here, and too many animated-to-live-action attempts end up stiff. A sequel? They’re open to it, and given how this thing is performing, that feels like a when, not an if.
The bottom line
If you missed the sing-along the first time, or you want another shot at belting your way through it with a crowd, you’ve got three days. Short window, big swing, and a rare moment where Netflix and major theater chains are actually rowing in the same direction.