Netflix's "Kpop Demon Hunters" Opens at #1 w/ $15.6M

[JamesG]

Netflix’s Kpop Demon Hunters Leads with Estimated $18 Million Debut, Weapons Stays Strong with $15.6 Million
by Rebecca Rubin
Aug. 24, 2025


In a box office twist, a film from the theatrical-averse Netflix appears to be No. 1 on North American charts. Kpop Demon Hunters, a sing-along version of the hit animated musical, is estimated to have earned $18 million to $20 million on Saturday and Sunday.

Netflix isn’t reporting grosses, but projections from rival studios and exhibitors would put ticket sales ahead of those for Weapons, which was expected to claim first place and looks to earn a strong $15.6 million from 3,631 North American theaters in its third weekend of release.




Although Weapons likely won’t finish in first place, it has achieved sleeper hit status with $115.9 million domestically and $199 million globally.

The $38 million-budgeted film is the latest theatrical hit for director Zach Cregger, whose last film Barbarian became a quiet success for Disney in 2022 with $45 million.




Disney’s Freakier Friday likely placed third with $9.1 million in its third weekend, a scant 36% drop from the prior weekend.

The PG sequel has earned $70 million in North America and $113 million worldwide to date. Those ticket sales are trailing the 2003 original which earned $160 million (not adjusted for inflation) but it’s a promising turnout for a theatrical comedy in the current box office landscape.




Disney’s Marvel adventure The Fantastic Four: First Steps remained in fourth with $5.9 million in its fifth weekend of release.

After a promising $117 million bow, it didn’t have much staying power with ticket sales at $257 million in North America and $490 million worldwide.




The Bad Guys 2 again took fifth place with $5.1 million in its fourth frame.

Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s heist comedy has generated $66 million domestically and $149 million globally.




This weekend’s only new nationwide release, Ethan Coen’s dark comedy Honey Don’t! landed at No. 8 with a soft $3 million from 1,317 venues. Opening weekend crowds were largely female (56%) female while nearly 70% were over the age of 25.

Honey Don’t! is the second installment in what Coen calls a “lesbian B-movie trilogy” following 2024’s Drive Away Dolls.




Elsewhere, A24 re-released an English version of China’s blockbuster smash Ne Zha II, but excitement didn’t translate to the States.

The film, which boasts Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh among the English-language voice cast, grossed a tepid $1.5 million from 2,228 theaters, marking one of the worst starts this year for a movie in wide release.

Of course, Ne Zha II doesn’t exactly need the North American coinage; the sequel has already shattered all kinds of box office records in the rest of the world with $2.1 billion to date.




In limited release, Ron Howard’s survival thriller Eden earned a muted $1.04 million from 664 venues — averaging $1,577 per location.

Sydney Sweeney, Ana de Armas, Vanessa Kirby, Jude Law and Daniel Brühl star in the R-rated film about European settlers who seek new life on a previously uninhabited island in the Galápagos.

Vertical acquired Eden eight months after it premiered to mixed reviews at Toronto Film Festival.

https://variety.com/2025/film/box-of...ns-1236497070/





August 22-24, 2025: Weekend Studio Estimates

1. KPop Demon Hunters $18,000,000
2. Weapons $15,600,000 / $115,880,823
3. Freakier Friday $9,200,000 / $70,540,708
4. The Fantastic Four: First Steps $5,900,000 / $257,251,951
5. The Bad Guys 2 $5,100,000 / $66,178,030
6. Nobody 2 $3,700,000 / $16,546,585
7. Superman $3,430,000 / $346,975,181
8. The Naked Gun $2,950,000 / $47,563,349
9. Honey Don't! $2,950,000
10. Jurassic World: Rebirth $2,100,000 / $335,579,810