In case you somehow haven’t heard of this film, KPop Demon Hunters is a high-energy animated adventure about a fierce, world-famous K-pop girl group who secretly double as demon slayers.
The film follows Rumi (voiced by Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong), and Zoey (Ji-young Yoo), three pop stars from the chart-topping band Huntr/x, as they balance sold-out concerts and supernatural battles.
Their lives take a wild turn when an ancient demonic force returns, and the trio must use their music and friendship to save the world (again).
Over the years, Disney has dominated the animated musical landscape with classics like Frozen, Moana, and Encanto. Netflix decided to throw its hat into the ring, and to everyone’s surprise, it actually pulled it off.
How a Netflix Original Became a Global Sensation
When KPop Demon Hunters dropped earlier this year, expectations were modest. Netflix has struggled to build long-term kids’ franchises like Disney and Universal, whose franchises, from Despicable Me to Harry Potter, have a solid fanbase and have generated millions of dollars.
Netflix struggled to build long-term animation hits that could rival Disney’s storytelling power, but KPop Demon Hunters changed everything.
Despite early test screenings that didn’t exactly wow audiences. Directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans reworked the film until it struck gold.
When it finally landed on Netflix, it exploded by earning over 325 million views and becoming the most-watched movie in the streamer’s history. The film hit No. 1 at the box office during its limited theatrical sing-along event in August, grossing around $19 million in just two days, followed by another $6 million during its Halloween rerun.
Its soundtrack has also become a cultural moment in its own right. The hit singles “Golden”, “Your Idol”, and “Soda Pop” climbed the Billboard charts, with “Golden” spending weeks at No. 1 and the album going platinum. Fans around the world have been streaming, dancing, and even cosplaying as the demon-slaying idols of Huntr/x.
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What to Expect from Season 2
KPop Demon Hunters is officially getting a sequel. According to Deadline, Netflix and Sony are planning a 2029 release for KPop Demon Hunters 2. That timeline makes sense, given the long production process for high-quality animated films.
The creative duo behind the original, Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, are returning to continue the story. Kang has already teased that there’s “so much story left to tell,” hinting that the sequel will go deeper into the girls’ backstories, their demon-hunting lineage, and the darker forces still lurking behind the scenes.
If you’re wondering just how massive this franchise has become, Netflix recently sealed a deal with Mattel and Hasbro to serve as global co-master toy licensees for KPop Demon Hunters. That means the world of Huntr/x is expanding far beyond the screen.
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A New Era for Netflix Animation
KPop Demon Hunters marks Netflix’s first real foothold in the world of animated franchises. With Disney still reigning supreme in the category, Netflix’s ability to produce a globally adored, fully owned intellectual property is a big win.
Season 2 has a lot to live up to, but if it keeps the same mix of music, heart, and girl power that made the first one a global obsession, Netflix might just have its very own Frozen moment on its hands.
