'KPop Demon Hunters' is truly a phenomenon that calls for a sequel on the big screen

When I saw the first teaser for KPop Demon Hunters on social media, I was instantly thrilled. As goofy as the premise might sound, it felt incredibly fascinating to me. A K-Pop girl group called Huntrix (formed by Rumi, Mira, and Zoey) secretly serve as demon hunters. Their songs create a mythical barrier that protects the world from evil creatures, while they fight them with swords between one concert and another. I would have never imagined a story like that.

It turns out that some demons take the form of a K-Pop boy group, the Saja Boys, who begin stealing the hearts of Huntrix’s fans. It’s interesting because they are rivals both in the music industry and in the secret fight between good and evil. And it’s funny that even Rumi, Mira, and Zoey have a crush on the Saja Boys.

Before I go on with this article, I have to confess that K-Pop was never my jam. After watching the movie, I started listening to some bands like that, and guess what? I loved them.

That said, I expected it to be a great movie, so it didn’t take me by surprise when KPop Demon Hunters premiered on Netflix on June 20 — it proved to be truly amazing. The film was directed by Maggie Kang, who also wrote the screenplay, and by Chris Appelhans. Produced by the renowned Sony Pictures Animation, famous for animated films like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, you can expect to have a memorable experience watching this animated feature. Although the animation style is not as groundbreaking as Into the Spider-Verse, it’s gorgeous and appealing. With a special flavour, the colorful and vibrant visuals are clearly inspired by elements from Korean pop culture comics, such as webtoons and manhwa — the South Korean equivalent of manga.

Combined with these features and leaning on the success of famous K-pop groups like BTS and Blackpink, it’s hard to imagine, in fact, that KPop Demon Hunters would not be a mega hit. However, it turned out that the movie was more than just a big hit — it’s both an animated and musical phenomenon. I bet even K-Pop fans couldn’t have imagined that Huntrix, an animated fictional group, would become one of the most listened to groups of the moment, breaking record after record in the music industry. On July 8, Huntrix (or Huntr/x, as it is also spelled) became the first fictional female K-Pop group to reach number 1 on Spotify U.S. with “Golden,” surpassing the record set by the K-Pop boy group Saja Boys — yes, even the villains from the movie are riding the wave and doing very well beyond the screen.

Ironically, Huntr/x and Saja Boys ended up topping the real K-Pop groups that served as inspiration for them. “Golden” by Huntr/x reached #1 on the Spotify Global Daily Charts and peaked at #2 on the Spotify U.S. chart, surpassing Blackpink’s record as the biggest hit by a Korean girl group in the U.S. It doesn’t stop there. “Your Idol” by Saja Boys hit #1 in the U.S., overtaking BTS (“Dynamite”) — setting a record for a K-pop boy group in that country. Cementing the movie’s status as a defining moment in K-pop history, “Golden” rose to #1 on the global Spotify chart on July 10, with 5.46 million streams.

When we talk about ‘fictional’ groups, let’s remember that there are actually real artists behind these hits. EJAE (Rumi), Audrey Nuna (Mira), and Rei Ami (Zoey) provide the voices for Huntr/x, although they are not part of the main voice cast. Providing the singing voices for the Saja Boys are Andrew Choi (Jinu), Neckwav (Abs)... performing 'Soda Pop' and 'Your Idol.

The numbers are also impressive on Netflix for an animated film. KPop Demon Hunters has remained in Netflix’s Top 10 movies in the U.S. for four weeks. By mid-July, it had reached an estimated 80.3 million views, beating Leo and becoming the most-watched animated movie in Netflix history.

Saja Boys, rivals of Huntr/x in music and in the battle between good and evil

Breaking Out of the K-Pop Niche

Needless to say, the K-Pop fandom helped boost all these records. But it’s undeniable that the animated movie crossed over to reach a larger audience, myself included. KPop Demon Hunters has proved to be a success beyond its niche. It makes sense that Sony Pictures made a strategic choice to release the movie on streaming platforms, once streaming platforms have become the safest and a prime place for original works. Despite this, nothing theoretically stands in the way of a sequel being released in theaters.

Even the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has acknowledged the film’s tremendous success, posting a clip from the movie on their official social media channels. An Oscar nomination on its way? I’m betting all my chips on it. Although there are some promising animated films set to debut this year, such as The Bad Guys 2 and Zootopia 2, just to name a few, it’s quite clear that KPop Demon Hunters is one of the favorites to receive at least two Oscar nominations, including Best Original Song.

If movies usually come from movie theaters to streaming platforms, why not go the other way now? Although the global box office is still below pre-pandemic levels, it grew by 17% in the first half of 2025 compared to last year, according to The Numbers. Fans are calling for a sequel on social media, and now it’s guaranteed to say that Sony holds all the cards to make that happen. The announcement will come sooner or later — hopefully sooner — and that it will be made for the big screen.