All Episodes

August 25, 2025 28 mins

Send us a text

Netflix just scored its first major box office win with KPop Demon Hunters—a surprise theatrical smash that grossed $18 million in just one weekend across 1,700 screens. But will the streaming giant treat this as a fluke, a fan-service stunt, or a blueprint for future releases?

In this episode, we dissect the cultural phenomenon behind KPop Demon Hunters, from its viral soundtrack and Billboard domination to the sold-out sing-along screenings that turned theaters into concert halls. We explore Netflix’s historically cautious approach to theatrical distribution and ask: Is this the moment they rethink their streaming-first strategy?

Topics include:

- Why KPop Demon Hunters succeeded despite minimal marketing
- The power of fandom and communal viewing experiences
- Netflix’s evolving Oscar strategy and theatrical experiments
- What this means for future Netflix originals—and the industry at large

Whether you're a media analyst, a K-pop devotee, or just curious about the future of film distribution, this episode offers a sharp, strategic look at what happens when streaming meets the silver screen.

🔊 Press play and join the conversation.

Support the show

►Want a question answered on iCritic Live? Send a question here and we'll answer it (if it's a reasonable question): https://streamelements.com/kevintrod/tip

►Get free money just from buying gas! Download GetUpside to start making an average of $50 a day: https://upside.app.link/5TMVT

►Want to invest in stocks commission-free? Use Robinhood! Sign up through this link to get a free stock: https://share.robinhood.com/kevin1823

►PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/KevinTRod

Website: http://www.icritic.net
E-Mail: greatmediauniverse@gmail.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/icritic_official/
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/KevinTRod/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kevintrod/pins/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevinTRod

My Amazon Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/22VIH93Q0H9EP/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_gm__wl

My Criterion Wish List: https://www.criterion.com/wishlist/392515

If you would like to send me snail mail, please send all (legal) packages to:

iCritic
PO Box 2130
Huntington Beach, CA 92647

All view are protected by the First Amendment and all images and video clips used are protected under Fair Use.

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know
Cardiac Cowboys

Cardiac Cowboys

The heart was always off-limits to surgeons. Cutting into it spelled instant death for the patient. That is, until a ragtag group of doctors scattered across the Midwest and Texas decided to throw out the rule book. Working in makeshift laboratories and home garages, using medical devices made from scavenged machine parts and beer tubes, these men and women invented the field of open heart surgery. Odds are, someone you know is alive because of them. So why has history left them behind? Presented by Chris Pine, CARDIAC COWBOYS tells the gripping true story behind the birth of heart surgery, and the young, Greatest Generation doctors who made it happen. For years, they competed and feuded, racing to be the first, the best, and the most prolific. Some appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, operated on kings and advised presidents. Others ended up disgraced, penniless, and convicted of felonies. Together, they ignited a revolution in medicine, and changed the world.

The Joe Rogan Experience

The Joe Rogan Experience

The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.