Streaming phenomenon turns into a theatre event
An animated K-pop musical built around a fictional girl group has become Netflix’s first film to top the North American box office, showing how a streaming-born hit can still fill cinemas. Released as a limited sing-along event, the movie earned an estimated 18 million dollars over a February weekend in the United States and Canada—despite being available to watch at home. The story follows a squad of stylish idols who balance chart success with demon-fighting adventures, mixing K-pop choreography with fantasy action. For families and young viewers already obsessed with the soundtrack, the chance to belt out favourite songs in a theatre turned regular showtimes into fan rallies.

The film had already built enormous momentum on streaming platforms over the previous months. Several tracks climbed to the top of US music charts, an achievement that even major real-world K-pop acts have struggled to match. Online, fans traded choreography tutorials, cosplay ideas and fan art inspired by the movie’s fictional groups. That digital community laid the groundwork for the theatrical run: by the time sing-along screenings were announced, many viewers had memorised every lyric and dance move. In cinemas, audiences were not just quietly watching; they were singing, cheering and treating the experience like a concert with an animated cast.

New playbook for streaming giants and K-pop fandom
Industry analysts say the film’s performance challenges the old divide between “streaming titles” and “theatrical releases.” Netflix had previously used cinemas mainly for awards-qualifying runs and select prestige projects. This time, it spotted a chance to monetise a phenomenon that had become one of its most-watched original films worldwide. Rather than a weeks-long exclusive window, the company opted for a focused, event-style weekend that leaned into fandom behaviour: limited dates, participatory screenings and a heavy emphasis on merch and social-media buzz.

For K-pop, the success carries symbolic weight. A fictional animated group has managed to channel many of the genre’s strengths—high-energy performance, slick visuals and deeply emotional hooks—into a different medium. The result raises questions for the future: if virtual idols can captivate global audiences, how will real-life groups adapt their own stage shows and fan engagement? For now, industry voices are framing the film as an expansion rather than a replacement, a kid- and family-friendly entry point that could draw new listeners into the wider K-pop universe. The box-office win suggests that when fandom is strong enough, even a streaming-first title can still pack theatres on its own terms.