Netflix And AMC Theaters Unite For KPop Demon Hunters Release – And That's Good News

In some rare good news out of Hollywood, one of the most bitter rivalries of the past decade has come to a stalemate. No, Martin Scorsese hasn't agreed to direct a Marvel movie. Instead, it seems Netflix and AMC Theaters have ended their blood feud just long enough to unite for a single common purpose: making a ridiculously high amount of money.

The common cause is none other than sealing the Honmoon and re-releasing "KPop Demon Hunters" in theaters. Specifically, it's the sing-along version that will be returning to theaters after ruling the box office earlier this year. Though initially billed as a two-day special event playing on just 1,700 screens (only to gross more than double what other movies made that weekend on twice as many screens), "KPop Demon Hunters" was a huge hit, enough so as to convince Netflix and AMC to bury the hatchet.

Unfortunately, the "KPop Demon Hunters" re-release won't exactly be a wide rollout. Rather, Deadline is reporting that it'll only be playing on about 400 AMC Theaters screens across the U.S. and Europe, starting over the Halloween weekend. We just hope the film will play for more than just two days this time around.

An AMC Theaters spokesperson issues a statement about the news, saying, "While the two companies have not had a commercial relationship in recent years, both Netflix and AMC are intrigued by the mutually beneficial opportunities that could arise from this and future collaborations." Before you get excited, however, the spokesperson also clarified, "Discussions are underway as to what that may entail, but no further details are being shared at this time."

While this in no way guarantees Netflix movies will start getting traditional theatrical releases in the future, it's still excellent news for moviegoers. Netflix and AMC have been at war for years. Perhaps most infamously, Martin Scorsese's "The Irishman" was the source of a major struggle between movie theater chains and the streamer in 2019. As a result, plans for the film to receive a coast-to-coast wide release were ultimately scrapped in favor of a much smaller rollout.

Thus, AMC Theaters and Netflix's truce is the first step toward increasing the very limited theatrical release Netflix gives its movies. Does this mean the day will come when a Netflix movie gets a traditional 90-day exclusive theatrical window? Maybe not, but at the very least, it means that people who live outside of Los Angeles and New York City may yet get to watch stuff like, say, "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery" on the big screen in the future.

Ever since streamers (starting with Netflix) began not just producing but also acquiring movies for distribution, audiences have been unable to experience some truly phenomenal works of cinema the proper way. Movies like "Nimona," "Okja," and "The Old Guard" benefit from a larger screen and a bigger audience beyond what you could fit in your living room. Similarly, a film like "A House of Dynamite" loses something in translation when viewed from home. Had it played in AMC Theaters, even more people could've experienced the sheer existential dread of Kathryn Bigelow's latest joint. Even David Fincher's last two movies went straight to Netflix, while a film like "Annihilation" was only available on Netflix internationally. Movies like these deserve a theatrical presentation; perhaps now they'll finally start getting one.