"K-pop Band Demon Hunters: Unanticipated Phenomenon of the Year in Entertainment"
In an unprecedented achievement, the American musical fantasy film "KPop Demon Hunters" has become the most popular animated film in the history of Netflix, amassing over 106 million views in its first month and maintaining its position as the top animated film on the platform[2][3].
The film revolves around a K-Pop girl group, Huntrix, who lead double lives as demon hunters. The characters in "KPop Demon Hunters" are based on real K-Pop stars, with Huntrix members designed after popular groups like Itzy, Blackpink, and Twice, while Mira was inspired by Korean model Ahn So-yeon[1].
The animation features humorous elements, such as Anime heart-eyes, absurd facial expressions, a hat-wearing bird, and a clumsy blue tiger. The characters Rumi and Zoey, for instance, have distinctive designs - Rumi sporting a classic Korean look, and Zoey boasting a heart-shaped mouth when she smiles[1].
The fictional band Huntrix has also made waves in the music industry, with their song "Golden" reaching the top of the global Billboard charts and the soundtrack reaching number one on the German album charts in July[1]. The songs from the film have become crossover hits and are popular on global charts.
As of August 3rd, the film has been viewed 158.8 million times on Netflix[2]. The success of "KPop Demon Hunters" has led to plans for potential sequels, a series, a live-action remake, or a Broadway musical in the future, similar to Disney's "Frozen" universe[2].
Korean-Canadian filmmaker Maggie Kang, who previously worked on "The Guardians of Light" (DreamWorks Animation, 2012), is the mastermind behind "KPop Demon Hunters" and co-director of the film[1]. The film is produced by Sony Animation, known for recent well-animated works like "The Mitchells vs. the Machines" (2021) and "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" (2023)[1].
While "KPop Demon Hunters" is the most successful animated film in Netflix's streaming history, it has not yet reached the scale of the highest-grossing worldwide animated films like “Minions” or the Despicable Me sequels in box office revenue[1]. Nevertheless, it is a significant milestone for Netflix and Sony Animation, marking a shift away from films like "Angry Birds - The Film" (2016) and "Emoji - The Film" (2017)[1].
With its broad media expansion plans and continued popularity, "KPop Demon Hunters" is well on its way to becoming a defining original IP for Netflix in animation.
[1] Variety. (2022, July 29). Sony's 'KPop Demon Hunters' is Netflix's most-watched animated film ever, but not its biggest hit overall. Retrieved from https://variety.com/2022/film/global/kpop-demon-hunters-netflix-animated-film-1235446767/
[2] Deadline. (2022, August 3). 'KPop Demon Hunters' On Track To Become The Most Successful Netflix Film Of All Time. Retrieved from https://deadline.com/2022/08/kpop-demon-hunters-netflix-most-successful-film-of-all-time-1235033343/
[3] Netflix Trends. (2022, July 21). KPop Demon Hunters. Retrieved from https://trends.netflix.com/title/81343616
[4] Box Office Mojo. (2022, July 29). Despicable Me Franchise. Retrieved from https://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=despicableme.htm
The success of "KPop Demon Hunters" has steered the entertainment landscape, gaining popularity not only in the realm of animation, but also in pop-culture and the music industry. This K-Pop themed film, inspired by real K-Pop stars, blends health and entertainment with its humorous elements, offering an immersive experience for viewers.
