Aug 25 (Reuters) - The sing-along version of the

animated film "KPop Demon Hunters", which has become a cultural

phenomenon, topped the domestic box office this weekend, in what

appears to be a historic first for streaming giant Netflix ( NFLX )

.

The movie, about a Korean girl group that battles demons,

brought in an estimated $18 million from U.S. and Canada box

offices, according to IMDb's Box Office Mojo.

It surpassed Warner Bros Discovery's ( WBD ) horror movie

"Weapons", which brought in $15.6 million in domestic ticket

sales in its third weekend in cinemas.

The film has become a juggernaut for Netflix ( NFLX ), dominating the

streaming charts this summer as well as producing a

chart-topping hit song, "Golden".

Its popularity gave Netflix ( NFLX ) an opening to reach a bigger

audience with a one-weekend-only event that landed in theaters

at a time when there were no other major releases.

The streaming service has long rejected broad, big-screen

releases for its films, except for limited theatrical runs that

make them eligible for Oscar consideration. Theater-owners also

have balked at screening films that viewers can watch at their

homes.

Netflix ( NFLX ) does not report ticket sales, though it said the

limited theatrical run featured more than 1,000 sold-out

screenings in theaters across the U.S, Canada, Australia, New

Zealand and the United Kingdom.

"KPop Demon Hunters" was produced by Sony Pictures Animation

and directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans.

In addition to "Golden", three other songs from the movie,

"How It's Done", "What It Sounds Like" and "Free", also rank

among the top 10 most streamed songs for the week ending on

August 14, according to Luminate.