The cinema landscape is experiencing a late-summer quiet spell, with the horror film “Weapons” confidently holding its top position at the box office. On Friday, “Weapons” added another $4.7 million to its impressive run, bringing its North American total past $105 million, making it the 13th-biggest release of the calendar year. Its continued strong performance, with only a 37% daily drop from the previous week, underscores its appeal.

However, an unconventional contender, Netflix’s animated musical smash “KPop Demon Hunters,” is poised to make a significant impact this weekend, with a special two-day sing-along theatrical release. This move is particularly notable given Netflix’s historical reluctance to engage with traditional movie theaters, a stance highlighted by its CEO calling them “outdated” just months prior. Despite being available on Netflix for over two months and ranking as the platform’s second most-watched film ever, the decision to bow in over 1,700 locations signals a clear demand from fans for a big-screen experience. The film, produced by Sony Pictures Animation before its sale to Netflix, is testing new waters, far exceeding the approximately 600 locations for Netflix’s previous awards-qualifying theatrical run of “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.”

“KPop Demon Hunters” itself is a high-energy, high-concept supernatural action comedy centered around the girl group Huntrix. Comprised of rebellious woldo-wielding Mira, Burbank-raised rapper Zoey, and purple-braided orphan Rumi, these three ultra-talented supernatural protectors leverage their K-pop superstar status to defend the mortal world from the formidable demon king Gwi-Ma. Their popularity and the love from their fans are channeled into creating a powerful barrier known as the Golden Honmoon, designed to block the demons permanently.

The narrative takes a romantic turn when Jinu, one of Gwi-Ma’s tortured acolytes, forms a rival boy band, the Saja Boys, with four other handsome demons, aiming to lure Huntrix’s fans to the dark side. Unbeknownst to them, an irresistible attraction develops between Jinu and Rumi. Rumi harbors a significant secret: she is the daughter of a pop-singer mother and a demon father, marked by the same purple imprints as the spirits she is sworn to eliminate. Only Huntrix’s trusted trainer, Celine, is aware of Rumi’s hybrid status, believing she can control her demon genes, a belief complicated by Rumi's feelings for Jinu.

The film distinguishes itself with a playful approach to computer animation, taking strong cues from webtoons and manhwa, which are Korean graphic novels. This results in an emphasis on dynamic silhouettes and lively key poses, rather than fluid in-between movement, giving the animation a distinctly Asian flavor embellished with cute comic-book touches. Visual gags abound, such as Huntrix’s pupils swelling into puffy red hearts upon seeing the Saja Boys, and Zoey’s eyes comically transforming into six-pack abs or buttery corncobs. Even the violence is visually appealing, with demons cleanly sliced or exploding into confetti, maintaining the film’s PG rating by implying rather than explicitly showing more graphic elements.

Musically, “KPop Demon Hunters” delivers a robust, macaronic soundtrack that blends English and Korean lyrics, curated by A-list producers. The score features three hits for Huntrix – “How It’s Done” performed by Ejae, “Golden” by Audrey Nuna, and “Takedown” by Rei Ami (with a cover by Twice over the end credits). A standout duet, “Free,” performed by Ejae and Andrew Choi (the singing voices for Rumi and Jinu, respectively), further elevates the musical experience, making it a genuine K-pop musical that seamlessly integrates its songs into the high-octane plot.

Beyond the K-pop phenomenon, other new releases and holdovers are vying for audience attention. Universal’s specialty label Focus Features launched “Honey Don’t!” in 1,417 theaters, earning $1.4 million across Friday and preview screenings, projecting a $3.2 million debut. Disney’s “Freakier Friday” continued its strong run in third place with an additional $2.8 million on Friday, nearing $70 million domestically. “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” added $1.6 million, pushing its domestic total to $252 million. Universal’s animated sequel “The Bad Guys 2” is looking at a fifth-place finish, projecting $5.1 million in its fourth weekend for a domestic total of $66 million, mirroring its predecessor’s performance.

Conversely, Universal’s “Nobody 2” is projected to fall to sixth place, with a $3.5 million sophomore weekend, marking a 62% drop from its opening. Other limited releases include Bleecker Street’s “Relay,” a thriller starring Riz Ahmed and Lily James, bowing in 1,483 locations and hoping to clear $2 million. Vertical’s Ron Howard-directed “Eden,” a desert island thriller with a starry cast, also opened outside the top 10 in 664 venues. In another unique move, A24 re-released the Chinese mythological epic “Ne Zha II,” featuring a new English dub with Michelle Yeoh, in 2,228 locations. Despite its global box office success of over $2 billion, the re-release only generated around $690,000 on Friday in North America.