Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said the sequel will get “a very broad theatrical release” before it streams. Netflix and Sony have been aiming for 2029, and no date has been set.
HUNTR/X is going to the movies, for real this time.
KPop Demon Hunters 2 will play in theaters before it arrives on Netflix, co-CEO Ted Sarandos said Wednesday, Sept. 30, at Bloomberg’s Screentime conference in Los Angeles, per TheWrap.
Fans can “expect a very broad theatrical release,” Sarandos said.
That’s a big shift for a company that has spent years keeping its biggest movies at home.
When does KPop Demon Hunters 2 come out?
Not soon. Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation have been aiming for a 2029 release, per Variety, and there’s still no official date. NME went further and said the sequel is unlikely to arrive before 2030.
So this is a plan, not a premiere. But it tells you how Netflix sees the movie now: as a big-screen event first.
Why is Netflix putting KPop Demon Hunters 2 in theaters?
Sarandos says some fans want to see it there.
He talked about serving movie lovers who want to see it in a theater, per NME, and said the people who show up in theaters tend to be the most passionate fans. The more casual viewers come later, on Netflix.
KPop Demon Hunters 2 isn’t the only one getting this treatment. Netflix is also giving theatrical runs to Greta Gerwig’s Narnia movie and David Fincher’s The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth, which opens in IMAX theaters in November, per TheWrap.
How big was the first KPop Demon Hunters?
Huge, and mostly by surprise.
The movie premiered on Netflix in June 2025.
It has been watched more than 325 million times since then, per NME. Its song “Golden” became a No. 1 hit, and a sing-along version topped the U.S. box office in August 2025, which is unusual for a movie anyone could already watch at home.
That sing-along run is probably the best argument Netflix had. People paid to see something they could stream for free, just to sing it with a crowd.
What is KPop Demon Hunters about?
In case you somehow missed it: HUNTR/X is a K-pop girl group, Rumi, Mira and Zoey, who secretly fight demons with their voices. Their rivals, a boy band called the Saja Boys, are demons in disguise. It’s a musical, an action movie and a very good soundtrack all at once.
Will KPop Demon Hunters 2 be animated or live action?
Animated. Co-director Maggie Kang has said animation fits “the tone and the comedy” of the story better, per NME.
Kang and Chris Appelhans directed the first film. Sony Pictures Animation, which made the first movie for Netflix, is back for the sequel.
Sony’s Damien de Froberville hinted the sequel will dig deeper into the world of demons and K-pop, per NME. No plot details are out yet.
The trailer for the first movie is a good refresher before the sequel.
What else is happening with KPop Demon Hunters?
There’s a KPop Demon Hunters experience at Netflix House, with tickets from $39, and a card game that lets you play as HUNTR/X or the Saja Boys. The movie keeps showing up in toy aisles, Halloween costume racks and Spotify charts.
For HUNTR/X fans, the excitement is real!
Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
TheWrap (Oct. 1, 2026), Sarandos at Bloomberg Screentime, the “very broad” quote and Netflix’s other theatrical releases
NME (Oct. 1, 2026), Sarandos’ reasoning, the 325 million views, Maggie Kang and Damien de Froberville
Variety (2025), the 2029 target
Cartoon Brew (Oct. 3, 2026), the theatrical plan
Netflix on YouTube, the KPop Demon Hunters trailer
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