KPop Demon Hunters 2 to get a wide theatrical release

Netflix is taking its biggest hit to the big screen. Co-CEO Ted Sarandos said this week that KPop Demon Hunters 2 will get a wide theatrical release when it arrives, a notable shift for a company long associated with streaming-first movies.

KPop Demon Hunters 2: Netflix confirms theatrical release

Ted made the remarks on Wednesday at Bloomberg's Screentime event, while laying out how Netflix now decides which films play in theatres. Asked about the sequel, he said audiences should expect a "very broad theatrical release." The film is still expected in 2029.

The original premiered on Netflix in June 2025 and became the platform's most-watched movie ever. It logged 325.1 million views in its first 90 days. The theatrical appetite showed up quickly. A one-weekend sing-along version in August 2025 topped the US box office with roughly $18 million, the first time a Netflix film had done that. 

Ted described a spectrum. Smaller art-house films may play in theatres without much effect on their streaming performance. Big family titles, he said, are worth a wide release. He put the KPop Demon Hunters sequel alongside Narnia and Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory, two other Netflix films getting full theatrical rollouts. Netflix sees theatrical as a low-risk chance at a big upside before a movie reaches the service. For the first time, the company plans to report box-office results for these releases.

There is no release date or theatrical window yet. The 2029 target has looked shaky before: Sony Pictures Animation executives earlier hinted the film could slip to 2030 or later, and animated features take years to make. Directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans are returning, and Sony is again producing.

For fans, the practical takeaway is that a ticket will probably be an option next time, though the wait is still years away.

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