If you came wondering “Will Demon Hunters make Netflix pivot into more theater releases?”, the quick answer is: Nope, not really. Even though Demon Hunters had a strong theatrical showing, Netflix’s co-CEO Ted Sarandos says their core strategy remains streaming-first, with only very selective theatrical outings.

Why Demon Hunters performing well doesn’t mean Netflix is changing its big picture

Let’s break down what’s going on — casual chat style, like two friends over coffee.

1. What went down with Demon Hunters

• Demon Hunters premiered on Netflix on June 20, 2025.

• A limited “sing-along” version hit theaters in North America for a weekend (about August 23–24).

• That weekend, it earned roughly US$18–20 million at the box office — a big deal given Netflix’s usual theater strategy.

• Sarandos highlighted that the theatrical success was because the film already had momentum from Netflix streaming. The fans were on it, fan-wars, social media buzz.

• Despite that success he reiterated: Netflix still intends to release “a majority of films” directly on its platform first — theaters remain exceptions, not the rule.

2. Why Netflix isn’t shaking things up (even after Demon Hunters)

• The logic: streaming gives Netflix massive reach, high speed, global market, recommendation engines. Sarandos basically said: “we got something people fell in love with via streaming, and that’s what drove it”.

• A full theatrical window (i.e., months in cinemas before streaming) is still seen by Netflix as, in Sarandos’s words, something “outdated”. The novelty is smaller events, short engagements. Customer behaviour has shifted.

• The theatrical version of Demon Hunters worked because it was built on streaming success and fan culture. Merely because “we made money in theaters first” doesn’t mean the model flips. Netflix is saying: this is the outcome, not the new rule.

• And right now, Netflix appears to want to keep theaters as a bolt-on, not the core.

3. So what is Netflix’s theatrical strategy going forward?

• It’s selective: Some films will get boutique or short theatrical runs — especially big-global or premium animations; but the default is still streaming.

• Theatrical releases are seen as marketing extensions: they build hype, get media coverage, activate fan groups, maybe even help with awards eligibility — rather than being the primary revenue-maker.

• For example: Netflix still plans theatrical exceptions like Frankenstein (by Guillermo del Toro) and Rian Johnson’s “Wake Up Dead Man” — but those sit alongside the streaming-first releases.

• The key word: prioritise streaming, then theatrical if the film merits (or the franchise demands) it.

Alright, but what does this mean? (For viewers, for industry folks, for Netflix fans)

For viewers

You’ll still mostly watch Netflix original movies at home, maybe the same day or soon after release. If a film does get a theatrical run, it’s more of a special event than the main launch. So: if you’re hoping every Netflix film will hit cinemas? Probably not. Demon Hunters = exception, not the new standard.

For industry watchers

The theatrical business is evolving. Netflix has shown that streaming can generate global hits fast — meaning the traditional “cinema first” path isn’t the only route. Demon Hunters’ success via streaming + weekend theatrical release could serve as a blueprint: hit streaming hard → send a limited event version to theatres for extra juice. But Netflix emphasises they won’t flip completely and say “cinema is the main game again”.

For Netflix (and competitors)

Netflix keeps the flexibility. This strategy lets them experiment, capture the best of both worlds. They can still surprise with a theatrical outing when the film has event-potential (Demon Hunters did) while keeping costs under control and focusing on subscriber growth via streaming.

So … is Demon Hunters the beginning of a theatrical revival for Netflix?

My take: No. It’s a landmark yes — but not a pivot. It’s like Netflix saying:
“Look how big we can go when we align streaming success with a cinematic event. But we’re still going to play streaming-first.”

Demon Hunters helps build fan culture, merchandise, global buzz. If it’s followed by a sequel or merchandise spin-off (and there are talks about that) then maybe Netflix uses “limited theatrical events” more frequently for franchise-building rather than as the launch model for all films.

Why the “Demon Hunters” scenario won’t work for every Netflix movie

• Not every film will have the built-in fanbase or global cultural moment that Demon Hunters had.

• Big budget animations or global franchises may justify theatrical runs, but smaller titles? Probably not.

• The streaming-to-theater path only makes sense if streaming success is strong before the run. For many films, streaming → finish → done.

• The economics of theatrical releases are still risky: marketing, distribution, indie territories, etc. Netflix doesn’t want to flip its business model unless the odds are very favourable.

FAQ: Stuff people are asking about “Demon Hunters” & Netflix’s strategy

Q1: Did Demon Hunters do really well at the box office?
Yes — the limited theatrical “sing-along” version made around US$18–20 million in its opening weekend in North America, making it the first Netflix film to reach #1 in weekend box office under their new model.

Q2: Does this mean Netflix will release all future films in theatres first?
No, Netflix says their strategy remains streaming-first. Theatrical releases will still be limited, selective runs rather than the norm.

Q3: Why release Demon Hunters in theatres at all if streaming was working?
Because the theatrical run acted as a fan-event extension, adding hype, global reach, franchise potential. It wasn’t needed for the success, but added capitalisation on it.

Q4: Could this theatrical event strategy become common for Netflix?
Possibly for some films — especially big-budget animations or potential franchises with global appeal. But Netflix is emphasising it don’t plan to turn theatrical into the main strategy.

Q5: What’s the impact on traditional movie theatres?
It shows streaming platforms can build big film franchises and then do short theatrical bursts, which changes how cinemas may need to think about partnerships and windows. But it doesn’t mean cinemas go back to being the default launch platform for streaming originals.

Final thoughts

So yeah — if we’re looking at this like two buds who love movies and snack guts: Demon Hunters was wild. It giggled its way onto streaming, then strutted into theatres and clinched that weekend #1 spot. But Netflix didn’t raise its flag and say “we’re all-in on cinemas now”. Instead, they winked and said “thanks, yes, but we’re staying with streaming-first”.

Whatever you thought you’d see — maybe every Netflix film hitting theatres now — that’s likely not the case. Instead what we’re seeing is… smart flexibility. If a film has the moment, Netflix might give it a theatre wink. If it doesn’t, it stays in the living-room. And for you and me? Means we’ll keep priming snacks at home, but maybe sometimes we’ll book a special screening event and feel part of something big. Which, frankly? Sounds like fun.