Netflix will give the KPop Demon Hunters sequel a wide theatrical release around the world, co-CEO Ted Sarandos said Wednesday, marking a shift for a company long known for putting films on its streaming service first.
Speaking at Bloomberg’s Screentime event in Los Angeles, Sarandos said audiences should expect a “very broad theatrical release” for the follow-up, which is expected in 2029. Netflix has set no release date. Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans return as directors.
Sarandos laid out the reasoning. Theatrical releases draw the most passionate fans first, he said, so by the time a film reaches Netflix the audience has thinned to viewers who mean to get around to it someday. A wide run lets the company take a limited risk in exchange for a “very big upside.” He separated family blockbusters from art-house films, which he said can play in theaters for months without hurting their streaming performance.
The strategy extends beyond one franchise. Netflix plans wide releases for Greta Gerwig’s Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew and Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory, with theatrical windows of 50 and 47 days. La Bola Negra gets 46 days. Netflix will report box-office results for these films for the first time.
The original film supplies the evidence. Netflix released KPop Demon Hunters on June 20, 2025, and it drew 325.1 million views in its first 90 days. Two months after its debut, a sing-along version took an estimated $19 million over two days and finished first at the box office. Every major chain played it except AMC, which had boycotted Netflix over its reluctance to commit to a 45-day window. The film became the widest release by theater count for a Netflix title and the first to top the U.S. box office. It earned $24.3 million domestically across five non-consecutive days.
Analysts urge caution. One outlet noted the announcement does not signal a full Netflix pivot to theaters. Another observed that the 2029 target looks ambitious given how long a large animated feature takes to produce. Netflix has not announced when the sequel will reach streaming after its theatrical run.
