Kang wanted to create a story inspired by her Korean heritage, drawing on elements of mythology, demonology, and K-pop to craft a visually distinct and culturally rooted film. It had entered production by March 2021, with the full creative team attached. The visuals were influenced by concert lighting, editorial photography, music videos, andanime andKorean dramas.The soundtrack features original songs by several musicians and a score byMarcelo Zarvos.
KPop Demon Hunters began streaming on Netflix on June 20, 2025, and became themost-watched original title in Netflix history with over 500 million views. Asing-along version hadlimited theatrical releases on August 23–24 and October 31 – November 2. Its theatrical release was the widest by number of theaters for a Netflix film, and the first to top the box office in the United States. The soundtrack was the first film soundtrack to have four songs in the top ten of theBillboard Hot 100 simultaneously, and was certifieddouble platinum in the US in October 2025.
Long ago,demons preyed on humans, feeding their drained souls to their ruler Gwi-Ma. Eventually, three women becamedemon hunters and used their singing voices to create a magical barrier against demons called the Honmoon.[b] As time passed, new trios of hunters emerged to maintain the Honmoon, with the ultimate goal of strengthening it into the Golden Honmoon—a final seal that would permanently banish demons.
In the present, theK-pop girl group Huntrix—composed of Rumi, Mira, and Zoey—are the latest demon-hunting trio, trained by former hunter Celine. Rumi is secretly half-demon, a fact known only to her and Celine, who raised Rumi. Disquieted by the demonic patterns gradually spreading across her skin, Rumi pushes forward the release and live performance of Huntrix's new single, "Golden", hoping it will turn the Honmoon gold and thereby erase her patterns. However, as they prepare for the performance, Rumi begins to lose her voice.
In the demon world, Gwi-Ma grows enraged at his minions' failures. Led by Jinu, a human-turned-demon, five demons form a boy band called the Saja Boys to steal Huntrix's fans and weaken the Honmoon, in exchange for Gwi-Ma promising to erase Jinu's painful human memories. Watching their debut, "Soda Pop", Huntrix quickly discover the Saja Boys' demonic nature and later attack them. As they fight, Jinu discovers Rumi's patterns, but helps hide them from her bandmates. Meeting privately, Jinu tells Rumi that feelings of shame enslave demons through voices from Gwi-Ma. He shares with her that 400 years prior, Gwi-Ma granted him fame and recognition that helped his family emerge from poverty, but then condemned him to the demon world; Jinu now lives with guilt over his family's downfall.
As the Saja Boys grow more popular, the Honmoon is weakened, allowing more demon attacks to occur. With the Idol Awards approaching, Huntrix rush to produce a new song, "Takedown", to expose the Saja Boys. Rumi's discomfort with the song's harsh, demon-hating lyrics strains her relationship with Mira and Zoey. Rumi proposes a plan to Jinu: if he helps Huntrix win the Idol Awards and strengthen the Honmoon, he could freely stay in the human world. Later, Rumi tells Jinu that her shame about her demon heritage weakened her voice, but talking with him healed it. Jinu says that he no longer hears voices, thanks likewise to Rumi, and agrees to sabotage the Saja Boys. Gwi-Ma summons Jinu, reminds him of the truth that he abandoned his family for a life of wealth and comfort, then threatens to amplify the tormenting voices if he reneges on their deal.
At the Idol Awards, Huntrix perform "Golden", having chosen to shelve "Takedown" due to the contention it caused between them. However, impostor demons sent by Jinu lure Mira and Zoey away from Rumi, while two other demons impersonate them to trick Rumi into performing "Takedown", during which they reveal her demon patterns. She flees the stage and runs into the real Mira and Zoey, who feel betrayed upon learning of her hiding her demon nature and collusion with Jinu from them. Rumi confronts Jinu for tricking her, and he admits to lying about his past. Gwi-Ma, strengthened by the influx of consumed souls and decaying Honmoon, enters the human world and casts a trance over the public, including Mira and Zoey, drawing them to the Saja Boys' performance set to feed him more souls. A desperate Rumi meets with Celine and asks her to end her life. Celine refuses and discusses plans to restore the previous status quo. Rumi lashes out at Celine for never fully loving her and repudiates the now-destroyed Honmoon before abruptly leaving.
Rumi interrupts the Saja Boys' performance of "Your Idol" with an improvised new song addressing her shame and self-acceptance, which breaks Mira and Zoey out of Gwi-Ma's trance. Reunited, Huntrix fight back and free the crowd. A repentant Jinu sacrifices himself to save Rumi from an attack by Gwi-Ma, giving his restored soul to reinforce her; the empowered Huntrix defeat Gwi-Ma and the remaining Saja Boys, resealing the demons and creating a new Honmoon. No longer ashamed of her patterns, Rumi celebrates with Mira and Zoey at abathhouse, sharing tears of joy. Afterwards they meet their fans in public.
Voice cast
Arden Cho as Rumi, thelead vocalist and leader of Huntrix, who wields asaingeom sword in combat.[16] Rumi is the daughter of a demon father and a deceased demon hunter mother.[17][13]
May Hong as Mira, the main dancer of Huntrix,[13] who wields agokdopolearm in combat.[16] She comes from a wealthy background and is considered the black sheep of her family due to her rebellious nature.[13]
Ken Jeong as Bobby, the energetic agent and manager of Huntrix.[13][19]
Lee Byung-hun as Gwi-Ma, the king of demons, who takes the form of a giant fiery mouth.[13] Lee reprises the role in the Korean dub of the film.[24][25]
Liza Koshy voices a television host who interviews Huntrix.[19]Maggie Kang, Nathan Schauf, and Charlene Ramos provide additional voices.[18]
DirectorMaggie Kang first pitched the idea that eventually becameKPop Demon Hunters to film producerAron Warner in 2018, while he was working on the production ofWish Dragon (2021) forSony Pictures Animation.[26] On March 8, 2021, the film, under the working titleK-Pop: Demon Hunters, was announced to be underway at Sony. Kang andChris Appelhans would direct with writing duo Hannah McMechan and Danya Jimenez writing the script, with Warner and Michelle L. M. Wong serving as producers.[4][27][28] Mingjue Helen Chen and Ami Thompson were also announced as production designer and art director, respectively.[4]
It was conceived by Kang who wanted to make a film aboutKorean culture; she "delved intomythology anddemonology for something that could be visually unique" compared tomainstream media.[29] She also called the film her "love letter to K-pop" and to her Korean background.[4] Kang explained that when developing the history of the demon hunters, they decided to play intoKorean shamanism, and specifically the historical usage of song and dance as part of the rituals of Koreanshaman women.[30] On character design, Kang emphasized wanting to differentiate the main characters from "Marvel female superheroes that were just sexy and cool and badass" and instead combine those elements with "girls who had potbellies and burped and were crass and silly and fun".[31] She was also influenced by the films ofBong Joon Ho, which combine multiple different tones in a way that, to Kang, gives a feeling of animation to them.[29] She and Appelhans specifically cited Bong's monster movieThe Host (2006) as an inspiration for blending genres and moods.[32][33] Appelhans later came on board after Kang told him her initial ideas; he planned to take a long break after having directedWish Dragon (2021).[29] He stated that he "always wanted to do a film about the power of music—to unite, bring joy, build community".[4] McMechan and Jimenez were approached to write byNicole Perlman; speaking toVariety, McMechan explained that though the two "had never done animation before, and we didn't know anything about K-pop", they were "exactly what [co-director] Maggie [Kang] had been looking for, with our friendship and us being young girls".[34]
Character design
The members of Huntrix were inspired by variousK-pop girl groups, including 2NE1, Blackpink, Itzy and Twice (clockwise).
The nameHuntrixportmanteaushunter with the Latin feminineagent noun suffix-trix, to evoke the idea ofwomen warriors.[35] The three members of Huntrix were modeled after K-pop girl groups likeItzy,Blackpink,Twice, and2NE1.[36][37] The fashion and makeup of the characters took inspiration fromGivenchy,Jean Paul Gaultier, andAlexander McQueen, with a focus toward "infusing Korean traditional elements withhaute couture".[38] The character of Rumi was originally created by Kang and her husband,Radford Sechrist, for Sechrist's comicPlastic Walrus, before later being repurposed and reshaped by Kang forKPop Demon Hunters.[39][20] The character of Mira was inspired by Korean model Ahn So Yeon (professionally known asEllis Ahn).[40][41][42] The Saja Boys were inspired by Korean boy bands such asTomorrow X Together,BTS,Stray Kids,Ateez,BigBang, andMonsta X.[37] Korean actor and singerCha Eun-woo was a key influence for Jinu, the group's leader.[43] The names of the members of the Saja Boys, with the exception of Jinu, serve as labels describing different K-pop archetypes.[44] The termSaja dually alludes to thejeoseung saja (Korean: 저승사자;Hanja: 저승使者), a figure in Korean folklore comparable to theGrim Reaper,[16] and to the Korean word for lion,saja (사자;獅子), with the image of a lion head being used for the Saja Boys' logo, and the band's fandom being referred to as "thePride".[45][46][47]
Baek Byung-yeul ofThe Korea Times stated the styling of both groups connects to "the past and the present of Korea"—the members of Huntrix "wearnorigae pendants integrated into modern K-pop fashion, while Saja Boys perform in blackhanbok andtraditional horsehair hats for their song 'Your Idol,' evoking the image of the jeoseung saja".[16] Additionally, Huntrix all wield traditionally Korean weapons.[16] Max Kim of theLos Angeles Times noted the historical nods to Korean artists "who are seen today as the progenitors of contemporary K-pop" such as theJeogori Sisters,The Kim Sisters andS.E.S.[48] Kang described the visual journey in the character design such as the Saja Boys starting in a "bubble gum pop, very saccharine, super sweet look" and shifting darker until they fully take on the appearance of the jeoseung saja.[49] Appelhans commented on the visual storytelling present in Huntrix's performance costuming; the costumes Huntrix wear when performing "Golden" symbolize "their kind ofMacGuffin of a dream", aspiring for perfection and irreproachability, with the tearing away of Rumi's costume at the end of the film's second act representing the disruption of that dream.[49] Appelhans further noted this usage of costuming as part of an effort to have the workings of K-pop be reflected within the film in a way that also integrated with the film's plot.[49]
The castings for the characters' voice actors and singing voices were done at separate times, with the singers being cast earlier.[50]Ejae was originally brought onto the production as a songwriter, before later being offered the role of Rumi's singing voice; in an interview withGenius Korea, Ejae attributed her casting to "the directors [getting] used to hearing [her] voice in the demos".[50][51] Arden Cho, the voice actress for Rumi, initially auditioned for the role of Celine, only subsequently trying out for the role of Rumi due to the encouragement of co-director Maggie Kang.[52]Park Jin-young was initially envisioned for the role of Gwi-Ma, due to the character originally being conceptualized with a more flamboyant and comedic personality. However, this was dropped as the character was developed into a more menacing and traditionally antagonistic figure, leading instead to the casting of Lee Byung-hun.[53] In April 2025,Ji-young Yoo was announced as Zoey.[54][55] The rest of the cast was announced later that month.[1]
Animation
The film was animated bySony Pictures Imageworks in both itsVancouver andMontreal facilities with Josh Beveridge as animation director.[29][56] Appelhans highlighted visual inspiration as being drawn from multiple sources, including music videos,concert stage lighting,editorial photography,Korean dramas, and anime.[29] Kang explained that after watching Sony'sSpider-Verse films, which are animated in a hybrid 2D-3D style, it was decided to eschew the use of 2D elements, choosing instead to focus on 3D animation, with "faces and the look and feel of anime" being particular inspirations for the style.[29] Beveridge similarly noted the inspiration of "2D aesthetics but with three-dimensional language", making the film entirely in 3DCGI, and that it should have a "very bold graphic look".[29] Beveridge also highlighted shifting the art style of the characters' faces to reflect the tone, from glamorous appearances for more triumphant moments, to more aggressive sequences that feature greaterline work and angularity in character faces, to comedic moments in which a morechibi-esque style is used.[29] The first major scene to be animated was the initial encounter between Huntrix and the Saja Boys, which, according to Beveridge, acted as a proof of concept for the character designs.[56] Kang emphasized the crew's effort to authentically represent Korean identity through character animation, such as through eye and mouth shapes.[49] Although the characters speak English, the animators designed the characters to use mouth shapes specific to the Korean language while speaking.[49] For action scenes, the filmmakers made use of glitter effects inspired by the South Korean filmThe Villainess (2017), with Beveridge noting that the effect gave the scenes a feeling of dance-fighting, and that "[y]ou can get pretty violent if you put a lot of glitter on."[56] A significant amount of detail was added to represent Korean cultural details such as theNamsan Tower,Korean cuisine, theNaksan Wall, sign swords, and traditional tiger motifs which were included with a good deal of precision in accurate depiction.[57]
Hanh Nguyen, forSalon, highlighted that the animation of Jinu's pet tiger and magpie—which the creative team call Derpy and Sussie respectively[58][59]—are based onminhwa, a type of Korean folk art that was popular during theJoseon period.[20] Images of tigers, magpies, and pine trees are the focus of theHojak-do genre ofminhwa; the portrayal of these animals took cues from the satirical, anti-authority character thatHojak-do took on during the 17th century.[20][60] Park Han-sol ofThe Korea Times wrote thatminhwa was often "whimsical" with "mischievous details" and depictions of tiger and magpie delivered "a playful jab at those in power".[60] She said the gag of the magpie stealing the tiger's hat "feels like an affectionate nod to the long-running visual joke".[60] Sechrist was also astory artist and designed the tiger; he explained that the blue color of the tiger's fur possibly originated with production designer Helen Mingjue Chen wanting to make the character feel more magical.[20] Kang commented that Derpy was initially conceived without a clear role; however, they did not want him to be just a sidekick.[20] The team was inspired by a painting by Chen of a tiger statue turning into a real tiger next to an open shirt Jinu, which led to the idea of Derpy being Jinu's pet, eventually becoming a means for Rumi and Jinu to exchange messages and communicate, "and then the bird tagged along".[20] Kang also stated that while the animals "live between these two worlds", they are not demons, with their nature being left mysterious.[61]
Choreography
The dance choreography was worked on by Jam Republic's Jo Na-In,the Black Label'sLeejung Lee, and the group K-Tigers.[62] Jo, a South Korean dancer and choreographer, created the sequences for "Golden" and "Takedown".[62][63] The choreography for "How It's Done" was done by Lee, and the choreography for "Your Idol" was done by K-Tigers' Ha Seong-jin; choreography for the "Soda Pop" sequence was worked on by Lee and Ha.[63][64] In an interview, Jo stated that she was inspired by "Golden" itself when developing the choreography for the song indicating that "I focused on the storytelling that needed to be conveyed through the animation. I tried to concentrate more on expressing the lyrics and emotions."[63] On the animation aspect, Jo explained that she "made the movements bigger and more expansive" as well as keeping "close attention to details like facial expressions and fingertips to ensure they come across well onscreen".[62]
Fight scene choreography was contributed to by K-Tigers, including Taemin—who acted as the martial arts director—and Ha Seong-jin.[64][65] When interviewed, Ha explained that he "decided to weavetaekwondo elements into [the Saja Boys'] choreography. This way, it could showcase taekwondo not just as sport, but also as something aesthetically powerful."[64] Josh Beveridge when discussing the fight choreography, noted the deliberate dance-fighting feel to the action, explaining that "[s]ome of those fight choreographers had done some idol training, and in between the moves, they'd make these cute little adjustments. That is where the personality is."[56]
When comparing the songs of Huntrix and the Saja Boys, Appelhans explained they "wanted the Saja Boys' songs to be super catchy, but slightly hollow, like there's no real soul underneath". This is to contrast with the honesty and emotional vulnerability of Huntrix's songs—"the idea was that the surface-level part of your heart might be obsessed with the boys, but the deeper part is moved by the girls."[36] Kang and Appelhans sought the expertise of known K-pop producers to develop the soundtrack.[59] The film's original songs were written by Danny Chung, Ido, Vince, Kush,Ejae,Jenna Andrews, Stephen Kirk, Lindgren,Mark Sonnenblick, andDaniel Rojas; and produced by Teddy Park, 24, Ido, Dominsuk, Andrews, Kirk, Lindgren, andIan Eisendrath.Marcelo Zarvos composed the score. Agnes Lee, a producer at Sony Pictures Animation, said she specifically sought outTeddy Park ofThe Black Label after the music of 2NE1 and Blackpink came to mind while reading the script.[66] The soundtrack also features the voices of Ejae,Audrey Nuna,Rei Ami,Andrew Choi,Kevin Woo, samUIL Lee, Neckwav, andLea Salonga. The soundtrack was released on June 20, 2025; thelead single "Takedown" is performed byJeongyeon,Jihyo andChaeyoung of South Koreangirl groupTwice.[55][67] The soundtrack was certified Platinum by theRIAA on October 8, 2025, with sales exceeding 1 million units.[68]
In the United States, the soundtrack album holds the highest debut on theBillboard 200 chart for soundtracks released in 2025, debuting at number eight, and is the first soundtrack of 2025 to reach the top ten.[69] The album is also the highest-charting animated film's soundtrack album on the chart sinceMetro Boomin'sSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) at number seven, as well as the firstNetflix soundtrack to reach number one on theTop Soundtracks sinceStranger Things: Soundtrack from the Netflix Series, Season 4 (2022).[70] TheBBC highlighted that Huntrix and the Saja Boys—with "Golden" and "Your Idol" respectively—topped the USSpotify chart, with Huntrix and the Saja Boys becoming the highest-charting female and male K-pop groups in the history of the US Spotify daily chart, surpassingBlackpink andBTS, respectively.[71][72] Though the two bands are not the first fictional K-pop groups to achieve viral popularity,[73] outlets such asEntertainment Weekly have commented on the notability of Huntrix and the Saja Boys achieving levels of popularity and charting success rivaling real-world acts.[74] "Golden", the album's second single, eventually reached number one on theBillboard Global 200,[75] became the longest-lasting number one song by a fictional act on the USBillboard Hot 100,[76][77][78] and in South Korea became the third song in 2025 to achieve aperfect all-kill on the charts,[79] as well as breaking the record for most number of hourly perfect all-kills of all time.[80][81][82] Additionally, the soundtrack became the first in the history of theBillboard Hot 100 to feature four of its songs in the top ten simultaneously, which include "Golden", "Your Idol", "Soda Pop", and "How It's Done".[83] It is the first film soundtrack sinceWaiting to Exhale (1995) to feature at least three of its songs in the top 10.[84]
Themes
The film's plot explores the power of community and friendship in overcoming cultural pressures. Arden Cho, who voices Rumi, said, "Without Mira and Zoey, she wouldn't have made it." According to the filmmakers, Rumi's arc parallels the experience ofcoming out, especially in terms of parental and societal expectations. Co-director Maggie Kang noted that the character's journey was deliberately written to mirror the process of revealing one's true self: "Rumi's story [is] like she's coming out of the closet and coming clean to her parents who [want] her to be something that she's not."[85] Kang commented that when developing Rumi's story they "talked a lot aboutmixed heritage" as well as "queer identity, andaddiction and falling back into addiction. We kind of described the demon part of you" where someone is hiding part of themselves from others.[44]
Stephen Thompson ofNPR and Taylor Henderson ofOut magazine both similarly noted aspects ofqueer coding and queer allegory within Rumi's story,[86][87] with Henderson writing that "[w]hile there aren't explicitly LGBTQ+ characters in the film, Rumi's struggle feels quite queer-coded. From an early age, [Celine] instructed her to hide that part of herself from the world. The hiding grew into a deep shame, and she holds contempt for the half-demon part of herself."[87] Sulman Aziz Mirza, inPsychiatric News, highlighted the focus on "shame, identity, and healing"—in particular, Rumi hiding her demonic heritage and patterns "isolates Rumi in shame, forcing her to skip bonding rituals like bathhouse visits and ultimately silencing her voice". However, "Rumi and Jinu, both burdened by shame, begin to heal through music."[88] Mirza called shame a universal experience so "Rumi's patterns could symbolize anything: depression,queerness, trauma,neurodivergence, or beingbiracial."[88]
Writing forThe Korean Herald, academicKim Seong-kon identified the three main themes as: "1. The world is not simply made of good and evil, or angels and demons. 2. Do not be ashamed of differences. 3. Hybridity is a strength, not a weakness."[89] Academics Putu Marvitta Adira Prastiwi and Nissa Puspitaning Adni elaborate on themes of gender equality andfemale empowerment, writing "[t]he solidarity and emotional support among the Huntrix members form[s] a crucial foundation for building an autonomous and empowering female community, while simultaneously critiquing patriarchal pressures that demanded women hide their imperfections and vulnerabilities. Rumi's internal conflict and rejection of the demand to conceal her true self emphasize[s] the necessity of dismantling oppressive symbolic systems so that women could express themselves fully and authentically."[90]
Release
Sony Pictures Animation announcedKPop Demon Hunters in March 2021 without a release timetable.[4] In April 2022, it was first reported that Netflix registered a filing for the film.[91][92] The film was confirmed to be coming to Netflix in February 2023 in aBusiness Insider interview withSony Pictures film CEOTom Rothman.[93] The release ofKPop Demon Hunters on Netflix was the result of a 2021 agreement between Netflix and Sony.[6][94][95] According toMatthew Belloni ofPuck, this agreement entailed Sony giving Netflix "afirst look at certain live-action and animated film projects", with Netflix in turn guaranteeing to greenlight a certain number of projects for joint development, which it would release and have control over.[6] Under the terms of this deal, Netflix paid Sony $125 million to cover both the budget forKPop Demon Hunters and a premium worth 25% of the budget;[6][96] in exchange, Netflix would maintain all film rights, and would not need to pay any profit participation.[6]
In June 2024, Sony announced thatKPop Demon Hunters the film would be released in 2025.[97] In April 2025, an animator said it would be released in June, while later that month, it was announced for a release date of June 20, 2025.[1] In addition to streaming on Netflix,KPop Demon Hunters had alimited theatrical release at select cinemas in California and New York from June 20–26, 2025.[98] Asing-along version of the film was released theatrically in select theaters in North America, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand from August 23–24, 2025.[99] The sing-along version was subsequently released on Netflix, separately from the original version.[100] The film then had a second theatrical sing-along release from October 31 – November 2, 2025.[101]
The June 2025 theatrical release in the United States was enough to satisfy the eligibility requirements for theBest Animated Film andBest Original Song categories at theOscars.[98][102] The subsequent international theatrical releases did not meet the requirements to qualify for theBAFTA awards, due to the British theatrical run occurring two months after the streaming release, along with not having enough commercial screenings.[103][104] The British Academy rejected Netflix's exception appeal; according toDeadline,KPop Demon Hunters would have qualified if Netflix had released it simultaneously in British theaters and on streaming.[104]
Reception
Viewership
On July 29, 2025, Netflix announced thatKPop Demon Hunters had become the platform's "most watched original animated film of all time".[105][106] On August 26, Netflix said it had been watched 236 million times, passingRed Notice (2021) as its most-watched film.[107][108][109]The Hollywood Reporter stated in late August that according to Netflix's internal figures, the film performed consistently over the course of the summer.[110] On September 3, Netflix stated it had passed 266 million views, overtaking thefirst season ofSquid Game (2021) to become Netflix's most-watched title;[111] as of December 24, 2025, it had received more that 500 million views.[112]Nielsen Media Research, which records streaming viewership on certain U.S. television screens, reported thatKPop Demon Hunters garnered 20.5 billion minutes of watch time in 2025, ranking as the most-streamed film of the year.[113][114]
Box office
The sing-along version ofKPop Demon Hunters was released in theaters on August 23, 2025.[115][116] It debuted in 1,700 theaters, dethroning the 698-theatre release of Netflix'sGlass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022). It was initially projected to gross $18 to $20 million during its opening weekend.[117] It was the company's best-performing theatrical release, beating outGlass Onion ($13.1 million in 2022).[118] It was the first Netflix film to finish in first place over the weekend.[119] Netflix did not report grosses.[116] In the United States and Canada,KPop Demon Hunters made $19.2 million,[8][118] ahead ofWeapons, which was expected to remain in first during its third weekend.[118]
Jeremy Fuster ofTheWrap wrote that its theatrical release was set to open higher than the three-day opening weekends ofThe Bad Guys 2 ($22 million) andElio ($20.8 million); he said it would have made $100 million domestically had it not first been streamed.[d][120] Matt Schimkowitz ofThe A.V. Club wrote that the theatrical release drew many moviegoers who had likely streamed it.[117] Ben Fritz ofThe Wall Street Journal noted that the acclaim led Netflix to make it a rare theatrical release.[119] Matthew Belloni ofPuck noted that, due to the arrangement between Netflix and Sony for the production, most of the profit, and from any potentially subsequent franchise, would be accrued by Netflix, the distributor, rather than by Sony. For Netflix's film chiefDan Lin, "this is a studio chairman's dream: a relatively cheap superhit" with evident avenues for exploitation across multiple businesses being available, whereas Sony's film chief Tom Rothman "gotta be kicking himself over this one".[6]
Critical response
KPop Demon Hunters received wide acclaim from both critics and audiences,[121][122] who praised its animation, music, voice acting, and story.[123] On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 94% of 97 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The website's consensus reads: "Animated with infectious energy and vibrant colors,KPop Demon Hunters is jaunty family entertainment with a terrific soundtrack to boot."[124]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 77 out of 100, based on 9 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[125]
Brandon Yu, forThe New York Times, wrote thatKPop Demon Hunters "is an original universe that is charming, funny and artfully punchy". Yu said it shared the same cinematic approach as theSpider-Verse animated films, also produced by Sony Pictures Animation, noting both as featuring effective usages of fluid action, striking art, and music that serves the storytelling.[126] Toussaint Egan ofIGN similarly comparedKPop Demon Hunters toSpider-Verse, while also highlighting the fight sequences, which he described as having "flashy choreography and anime-inflected verve".[127] Kelechi Ehenulo ofEmpire described it as "a cross betweenBuffy the Vampire Slayer andPopstars: The Rivals", praising the watchability, comedy, and story about shame, generationally-imposed emotional burdens, and embracing who you are.[128]
Matt Goldberg ofTheWrap commented that the plot would "be painfully overwrought" were it not for the comedy.[129] Goldberg and Yu felt its best comedy came from poking fun at the culture and tropes surrounding K-pop, K-dramas, and other K-media.[129][126] David Tizzard ofThe Korea Times saidKPop Demon Hunters was both "a love letter to K-pop", and an unflinchingly critical examination of K-pop culture. He also praised the representation of Korean culture, stating that it captures and displays aspects of everyday life in South Korea "with an intimacy rarely seen in global content."[130] Tizzard and Peter Debruge ofVariety both highlighted the usage of the magpie and tiger,[130][131] which Tizzard noted as being affectionately reinterpreted from Korean tradition.[130]
Isaiah Colbert ofIo9 praised the authentic musicality, such that even those watchers who are not fans of K-pop "would find themselves bobbing their head and humming along".[132] Debruge commented that because of the setting and immersion within the world of K-pop, the audience might not fully recognize the film is a musical.[131] Wilson Chapman ofIndieWire thought the most impressive aspect of the music was the varied ways in which the songs are staged, such as a demon fight for "How It's Done", an opulent music video for "Golden", a creation montage for "Takedown", and an energetic dance number for "Soda Pop". Chapman considered this variation and versatility of the staging to be the means through which the K-pop elements are "a central and vital component of its storytelling", rather than a gimmick.[133] Similarly, Tizzard noted a seamless integration of the music and narrative, commenting that the songs "aren't throwaway jingles; they're emotional climaxes."[130] Goldberg wrote that the songs, while catchy, have plot stakes that serve to maintain tension.[129]
Angela Garcia ofSLUG wrote that due to the short runtime,KPop Demon Hunters "[feels] like it's only scratched the surface of both the world and characters", with many ideas having been left underdeveloped.[134] Chapman also highlighted the short runtime, which he felt was both a benefit and the main flaw; by moving quickly, the film lacks depth at points, such as Mira and Zoey not receiving enough story focus, or not fully exploring Rumi's resentment towards Celine, and results in a rushed, underwhelming climax that provides an overly easy resolution.[133] Goldberg also noted an occasional tonal whiplash, and argued that stronger character arcs were needed for Zoey and Mira leading into the climax to bridge the divide between the comic relief and its more emotional moments.[129] Though Ehenulo found it predictable and rushed but thatKPop Demon deserved its success.[128]
Attendees of a theatrical sing-along screening, cosplaying as the film's characters
KPop Demon Hunters furthered the visibility and popularity of South Korean culture as part of theKorean Wave and inspired an expansivefandom. The film's popularity has been described as surprising and unexpected;[145] its streaming success was compared by Nate Jones ofVulture to that ofDisney'sEncanto (2021).[146] Drew Taylor ofTheWrap described it as a widespread phenomenon, citing the popularity of the soundtrack album, and Netflix's official shop adding aKPop Demon Hunters section, with T-shirts and plushies being among top five best-selling items of 2025.[147] Others called the film an "animated sensation",[148] a "potential gold mine" for Netflix,[149] a "smash hit movie",[150] and the "biggest hit of Hollywood's summer".[151]The Cut said the characters, storyline, and soundtrack as reasons for its popularity, with Yoohyun Jung ofThe Boston Globe suggesting that integration of Korean culture into the story was another reason for why it is popular.[152]
In late September,Luminate made a presentation at the All That Matters conference inSingapore about insights from global andAPAC music, saying that multi-media cross-promotion helped the performance, with over two-thirds of audio streams from the soundtrack coming from outside of the United States. Luminate also described the film as a "transmedia hit".[153] Sara Leila Sherman and Morton Sherman wrote inPsychology Today thatKPop Demon Hunters became "more than entertainment", withsing alongs bringing people together.[154] On September 12, Lars Brandle reported onBillboard that the soundtrack made up seven of the top twenty songs on theARIA Singles Chart, and had lead the chart for seven consecutive weeks.[155] In an article published the same day onBillboard, Thomas Smith said that for the sixth week in a row, the song "Golden" had been the number one single in the UK, and was the second-ever K-pop song to reach number one within the UK itself.[156]
The film also made its way into sports and other popular culture. On September 2 at theU.S. Open,Novak Djokovic, after winning a tennis match withTaylor Fritz, did a dance inspired by the song "Soda Pop".[157] The film was also featured in aSaturday Night Live sketch on itsseason premiere hosted byBad Bunny, and included cameos from Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami performing 30-second snippets from the songs "Golden" and "How It's Done" live, withBowen Yang portraying the character Jinu and singing lyrics from "Soda Pop".[158][159][160] On October 7, Ejae, Nuna and Rei Ami gave a full-length performance of "Golden" during an episode ofThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, along with being interviewed by the host.[161][162][163] The singers repeated a performance of "Golden" during the 99th annualMacy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on November 27, alongside a balloon themed after Jinu's pet tiger.[164]
Korean Wave
KPop Demon Hunters has been noted within the context of the Korean Wave, a global increase in popularity ofSouth Korean culture and media that has acted as a form ofsoft power for the country.[14][165][166] Some, like Korean cultural scholar Park Jihyon, said that the popularity could likely become a major turning point in the Korean Wave's history.[167] Researchers such as Xin Fan and Salas Supalakwatchana have commented on the film as "a major cultural product within the Korean soft power landscape", and as a demonstration of the medium of animation as being "capable of merging entertainment value with strategic cultural promotion".[165] Cho Jae-hyon ofHankook Ilbo opined thatKPop Demon Hunters represents a new phase of the Korean Wave, in which Korean-themed content would be produced abroad rather than being created within South Korea and then exported. WithKPop Demon Hunters, Cho highlighted the production team as largely being non-Korean.[168] Moon Dong-yeol ofThe Hankyoreh similarly argued thatKPop Demon Hunters represents a denationalization of the Korean Wave, not being limited to production solely within South Korea.[169]
Both Cho and Min Seong-jae ofThe Korea Times have highlighted this new phase of the Korean Wave as being influenced byKorean diaspora creators,[168][170] with Cho noting that "Maggie Kang, a Korean Canadian, drew on her childhood memories of K-content to create the film."[168] Grace Kao, forForeign Policy, similarly noted the presence of many Korean diaspora songwriters and artists as part of the making ofKPop Demon Hunters, and compared this to the indebtedness of K-pop to diaspora Koreans participating in music industries of the United States, Canada, and Australia.[14] Kao additionally characterizedKPop Demon Hunters as a rebuke of a localization trend within K-pop, where local cultural elements are given emphasis over strictly Korean ones.[14] She said it "shows that consumers are not looking for a product stripped of Korean cultural elements or Koreans themselves" and that it is not necessary for media to emulate American pop culture in order to achieve success.[14]
Michelle Yee Hee Lee ofThe Washington Post wrote thatKPop Demon Hunters had been overwhelmingly embraced by South Korea, even by businesses and government, due to its broad appeal as an animated film, with products and events based around the film.[167] Hae-rin Lee ofThe Korea Times said the global popularity boostedtourism in South Korea, with fans interested in South Korea pop culture visiting recording studios, museum shops, cafés, and other attractions, including locations shown in the film, such asNamsan,Naksan Park Fortress Trail, andBukchon Hanok Village. Some businesses have released products related to the film, while fans are said to be embracing the food the main characters are shown eating.[171] TheNational Museum of Korea in Seoul drew more than five million visitors, an unprecedented total that ranks it alongside theMetropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and theBritish Museum in London. This surge was partly credited to the widespread popularity ofKPop Demon Hunters.[172] Seoul'sLeeum Museum of Art opened an exhibition focused on tiger and magpieminhwa, including aHojak-do painting from 1592 which is considered the oldest surviving piece in this style.[173][174] Sookyung Seo ofThe Korea Economic Daily wrote that, partially due to the film's popularity, over 1.36 million international tourists were drawn to Seoul in July 2025, an increase of 23.1% from the same month in 2024, and of 18% from July 2019, according to theSeoul Metropolitan Government's data, and said to be the "largest monthly tally ever recorded".[175]
KPop Demon Hunters has been noted as a cultural phenomenon by a variety of media outlets, many highlighting the soundtrack, characters, and story, as well as homages to anime and representation of fandom and Asian cultures.[176][177][178] Others noted that dance sequences had become popularity on the social media platformTikTok, and thatfanart had flooded other social media websites.[147] Within South Korea, fans called the fandom "KeDeHun".[167] The film's success was also seen as a success for its representation of Asian characters in pop culture, with children not having to look to "Pixar orDisney princesses for costume inspiration".[179]
BBC News reported on dance classes themed on K-pop, particularly songs from the film, inBelfast, and said that K-pop has gained increased visibility.[180] Alex Vadukul ofNew York Times noted that an intense fandom had formed around Huntrix and the Saja Boys, and noted thatMay Hong, who voices Mira, said it was "crazy being on the receiving end of [the film's] fandom."[181] Yvonne Kim ofThe Atlantic said thatKPop Demon Hunters transforms fandom "from a hobby into an action of creation". She added that it acknowledges the "sometimes-parasitic relationship between artist and listener" and the "unilateral power" of performers, and said that the fans are not different from their real-life counterparts.[182]
There has been aninternet challenge involving ramen noodles, based onramyun eaten by Rumi, Zoey, and Mira, while singing the song "How It's Done". It was reported that this resulted in severe burns and hospitalization among some fans who tried to recreate this scene, with doctors and hospitals warning about the dangers of eating instant noodles in extremely hot water, suggesting people eat the noodles more carefully.[183][184][185] During the 2025Halloween season,KPop Demon Hunters-related costumes saw significant popularity, with Google searches for costumes of the characters dominating search rankings,[186][187][188] and with costumes from major retailers likeSpirit Halloween quickly becoming sold out.[189][190] Local news media from across the United States similarly noted the high popularity ofKPop Demon Hunters costumes.[191]
Future
Sequel
In interviews withScreen Rant andVariety, director Maggie Kang expressed interest in a sequel and side stories to flesh out theKPop Demon Hunters universe.[30][192] She said that many questions that were raised remain unanswered fully, with additional stories capable of being explored,[30] such as potential backstories for Mira and Zoey.[192] Director Chris Appelhans likewise toldPeople that there were many pathways available for further stories.[193] Matthew Belloni ofPuck noted that, under the 2021 agreement between Sony and Netflix, Sony contractually holds the right to produce future installments ofKPop Demon Hunters; however, any such installments would likely, just as for the first film, be released for streaming onto Netflix.[6]
In July 2025,TheWrap reported that, following the success, Netflix had begun considering several potential follow-up projects, including two sequels, a television series, a short film, and a stage musical.[194] In a statement toNewsweek, Netflix Films chairmanDan Lin commented that the company was "excited to explore what could be the next adventure for Huntrix", while further stating that time would need to be taken for producing any future sequels, in order to ensure that the "flair and uniqueness" of the original film is retained.[195] In August 2025, Belloni reported that Sony had just begun negotiations with Kang and Appelhans to both return for a follow-up project.[6] On August 26, Pamela McClintock ofThe Hollywood Reporter stated that Sony Pictures and Netflix were in talks for the production of an animated sequel.[96] On November 5, 2025, it was announced that a sequel is planned for release in 2029,[196] with Kang writing the script.[197] However, in February 2026, Sony Pictures Animation president Kristine Belson suggested that the sequel would likely not be finished by 2029.[198]
Short film
On March 29, 2023, Sony announced that their LENS mentorship program would produce a short film based onKPop Demon Hunters after the release of theSpider-Verse short filmThe Spider Within.[199] In September 2025, the film,Debut: A KPop Demon Hunters Story, wasrated PG by theMPA.[200][201]
Other media
Rumi, Mira, and Zoey were added to the video gameFortnite as purchasableskins on October 2, 2025, alongside aKPop Demon Hunters-themed limited time mode and items.[202] On February 5, 2026, a second wave ofFortnite cosmetics were revealed, including Huntrix in their outfits fromGolden and a Jinu skin.[203] In October 2025, it was announced that Netflix had grantedKPop Demon Hunters toy licenses to bothHasbro andMattel, with toys scheduled to be sold at retail beginning in 2026.[204] On November 28, a digital artbook was released online; a physical edition is scheduled for publication in February 2026.[205][206] To coincide withSpotify Wrapped for 2025, a brief animated video was released of Huntrix thanking their real-life fans for listening to "Golden".[207] In February 2026, it was announced that a graphic novel adaptation of the film was scheduled for release in March 2026.[208]
^"Nathan Schauf".Sony Pictures Animation.Archived from the original on July 2, 2025. RetrievedJune 16, 2025.Nathan Schauf is a lead editor at Sony Pictures Animation, most recently working on the studio's highly anticipated feature film 'KPop Demon Hunters.'
^DeGrushe, Allison (July 15, 2025)."What We Know About the Netflix Hit's Future".Entertainment Weekly.Archived from the original on July 16, 2025. RetrievedAugust 14, 2025.The movie has skyrocketed in popularity, earning acclaim for its vibrant animation, catchy soundtrack, standout voice performances, and engaging storyline.
Rau, Nate; Brastead, Chelsea (October 29, 2025)."Nashville's Trendiest Halloween Costumes".Axios Nashville.Archived from the original on October 30, 2025. RetrievedOctober 30, 2025.Nashville is apparently obsessed with 'KPop Demon Hunters.'
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