Why Netflix Has to Release ‘KPop Demon Hunters 2’ in Cinemas

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The company has four years to recognize that it can no longer avoid releasing movies in theaters. While it has long favored releasing content directly to streaming, and especially binge-worthy series, recent award competition has pushed it to give some films limited theatrical runs. However, its primary focus remains streaming, and that needs to shift before the release of KPop Demon Hunters 2 in 2029.

Recently, many film directors have criticized Netflix for giving their movies only a very short theatrical release – often just two or three days in cinemas – before making them available for streaming. With cinemas struggling and often pointing to streaming as a major problem, Netflix could actually earn a lot of money by giving some of its biggest films a wider release in theaters.

The filmmakers will likely need to resolve this issue before the next movie comes out in four years. If the film doesn’t get a wide release in theaters, there could be significant backlash from fans. It’s been incredibly popular on Netflix, staying in the Top 5 for five months, and recently returned to the number one spot before being overtaken by Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein.

Originally developed by Sony Animation, the musical fantasy film KPop Demon Hunters surprisingly ended up on Netflix through a content deal – a decision many now see as a major error. The movie has become Netflix’s most popular original film ever, enjoyed successful sing-along events in theaters, and even topped the Billboard charts for eight consecutive weeks with its soundtrack. Its success strongly suggests Netflix should reconsider its strategy of keeping content exclusively on its streaming platform.

Netflix Is Losing the Battle to Keep Movies Out of Cinemas


Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Netflix started by mailing DVDs to customers, but quickly became the leading streaming service. Recently, viewers and creators have been challenging Netflix’s practice of limiting how and where people can watch its shows and movies – specifically, restricting access to only in-home TV viewing.

Daniel Craig previously criticized Netflix for not releasing Knives Out in theaters, and while the sequels did have limited theatrical runs, those were mainly to qualify for Academy Awards consideration, not because Netflix wanted to give Craig and director Rian Johnson that experience. Greta Gerwig, however, took a firm stance with her Narnia films, reportedly insisting on a theatrical release before signing on to direct for Netflix. Because of this, Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew will debut in 1000 IMAX theaters on November 26, 2026 – a major change in Netflix’s usual approach.

After initially being turned down, the final episodes of Stranger Things will now be shown in movie theaters on December 31, 2025, providing a grand conclusion to the popular Netflix series. This suggests Netflix might be reconsidering its usual policy of not releasing content in theaters, even though they publicly maintain that policy.

Despite already being a hit, KPop Demon Hunters had the potential to be a massive blockbuster – a billion-dollar film, even. The success of its two small-scale sing-along events, which happened after most people had already watched it on Netflix (over 325 million viewers and counting!), clearly shows that the sequel deserves a wide release in theaters. Ted Sarandos would be making a mistake not to give it one.

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2025-11-09 23:47