{"id":541580,"date":"2026-06-18T12:25:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T12:25:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/541580\/"},"modified":"2026-06-18T12:25:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T12:25:14","slug":"how-kpop-demon-hunters-spent-an-entire-year-as-a-blockbuster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/541580\/","title":{"rendered":"How ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Spent an Entire Year as a Blockbuster"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tJune 20 marks the one-year anniversary of Netflix\u2019s \u201cKPop Demon Hunters<\/a>\u201d release.<\/p>\n

\n\tSince then, the animated feature has spent 52 consecutive weeks on the streamer\u2019s Top 10 list, shattering records and making history along the way \u2014 including becoming Netflix\u2019s most-watched movie ever and winning the Oscar and Grammy for best original song for \u201cGolden,\u201d the first K-pop song to take home an Oscar. No one could have predicted its phenomenal success, which took the industry by surprise and left fans clamoring for merchandise, more music, more stories and anything \u201cDemon Hunters\u201d related.<\/p>\n

\n\tEven co-director and creator of \u201cDemon Hunters,\u201d Maggie Kang<\/a>, who conceived the idea over 10 years ago, never imagined the film would take off the way it did. Kang told Variety, \u201cWhen Chris [Appelhans] and I were making this, we hoped it would connect with people, but seeing fans around the world \u2014 from Seoul to Brazil to Los Angeles \u2014 embracing these characters, creating their own art and living in this world has been a dream.\u201d She adds, \u201cIt\u2019s no longer just a movie; it\u2019s become a global community.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tKang says, \u201cIt\u2019s clear that the film moved far beyond the screen. It now belongs to the fans who saw themselves in our demon hunters, and that connection is the greatest reward.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tFeeding the fandom has been key when it comes to what Netflix does behind the scenes, with the studio\u2019s marketing and publicity team tuned in and listening. And if anyone knows about fandom, it\u2019s the company\u2019s chief marketing officer, Marian Lee.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s easier to cultivate fandoms in this digital age versus a long time ago when it was like you were writing to join fan clubs, but it is also difficult to stay focused on what the fans want, because there is a proliferation of so many,\u201d Lee says.<\/p>\n

\n\tA sequel is currently in the works and is in the early stages of development. But that hasn\u2019t stopped fans from writing fan fiction or posting videos to YouTube. \u201cMy son, who\u2019s a huge fan, would come home from school, and say, \u201c\u2019I heard this, and Rumi has a twin, and he\u2019d have these story lines, and it\u2019s going to be in the second movie.\u2019 I was like, buddy, \u2018I haven\u2019t even seen a script yet, so I promise it\u2019s not,\u2019\u201d she laughs.<\/p>\n

\n\tWhen working with partners, Lee says there\u2019s a simple mandate: \u201cWe take the overarching principle with all of our franchises, and that is: Does this make sense for the universe? Is this something that the fans have either asked for or that they would be into?\u201d But it doesn\u2019t end there. Collaboration with the filmmakers is also important. \u201cWe ask, \u2018How do you feel about it?\u2019 and they\u2019re great about adding on the stories, and being involved enough to say, \u2018Okay, the girls wouldn\u2019t do this in real life.\u2019 So how do we tweak it so that it does feel authentic?\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe collaborations run across all sectors. In gaming, Fortnite added official skins for the characters. General Mills dropped cereal tie-ins, and Anua launched a co-branded K-beauty line. This weekend, TikTok Live is hosting a Global Watch Party. But Lee recalls it wasn\u2019t always this easy.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe were out there years in advance, pitching this to partners to do this with us,\u201d she says, and the team hit the Licensing Expo in Las Vegas and the Brand Licensing show in London last year. \u201cWe didn\u2019t have a finished film, and it was so hard for them to imagine that we really could not drum up any enthusiasm for it with partners.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cNobody would partner with us at that time,\u201d she says. So the team at Netflix decided to produce products themselves, ordering t-shirts, hoodies and other merchandise \u2014 \u201cfun things that we know fans like,\u201d Lee says. \u201cAnd then we put them on the Netflix shop, it ended up for us being a blessing in disguise, because all the partners then were like calling us that first weekend, asking, How do we get involved?\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tEven Chris Cocks, CEO of Hasbro, admitted on the Decoder podcast that he had missed an opportunity.<\/p>\n

\n\tAs the film and its music started to explode last summer, Lee says brands like Hasbro, Lego, Mattel and even McDonald\u2019s \u201cpulled out all the creative stops\u201d and sped up their development process to bring \u201cDemon Hunters\u201d products to market. \u201cWith the dolls, Mattel and Hasbro brokered a co-master toy agreement, which had never been done in the history of any franchise, and really speaks to the strength of this one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe McDonald\u2019s tie-in <\/a>was built around the film\u2019s central rivalry between two K-pop groups: the demon-hunting girl group Huntr\/X and their rivals, the Saja Boys. \u201cThere was story in there, and we got custom animation, and the singing talent from both sides were involved,\u201d Lee said. Of all the collaborations, this one meant a lot to Lee. The meals brought Korean culture and food traditions into the mainstream. Lee says, \u201cBeing Korean, and to open up a breakfast sandwich and see Korean writing on the wrapper, I took a picture of that, because, never in my wildest dreams, would I think that it would be on my Egg McMuffin, but also that I had a very small part in bringing that to life.\u201d Lee added, \u201cWe try to take it down a very genuine path of what the fans are looking for, even when we\u2019re collaborating with partners.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThat particular partnership resonated with fans who were excited to collect the character cards. But it also resonated with the cast.<\/p>\n

\n\tAudrey Nuna, the singing voice of Mira, would often go to the fast-food chain on her way to auditions, said, \u201cIt was a beautiful symbol of true fusion of what the film is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tSimilarly, for Arden Cho, the singing voice of Rumi, \u201cGrowing up in America, that feels like such an all-American dream. To be a Happy Meal was pretty cool, and something I never thought would be a bucket list thing.\u201d Cho adds, \u201cWhy wouldn\u2019t you pick Huntr\/X. It just felt really fun because we got to be really playful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\n\tThere were plenty more partnerships. May Hong, the speaking voice of Mira, says the \u201cShin Ramen was the craziest collaboration.\u201d It was the most meaningful for her to see Huntr\/X on the packaging. The instant noodle brand is, she says, \u201ca household staple and a national treasure of a product.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe phenomenal success of the film has changed the lives of everyone involved with more collaborations to come, and there\u2019s a live concert planned. An Immersive House will open later this year in Dallas and Philadelphia where fans can step into the world of the movie. Again, photo ops and music ops will be a part of the experience. It\u2019s what the fans want.<\/p>\n

\n\tLooking back, Nuna reflected on how the story of the film has unfolded over the past year and has been received. \u201cIt\u2019s a story that starts in the classroom in second grade in Manalapan, New Jersey, and not feeling accepted and not feeling like I had a space to occupy. This movie really changed that for me, and I think as an artist, every time you heal, you have a lot to kind of share about it, and that goes for, more importantly, this next generation, like understanding that this film might preemptively heal and also prevent certain wounds for this next generation, and maybe for Rei, May, EJAE<\/a>, Maggie and everyone involved in the film.\u201d She continues, \u201cThis film makes me want to continue to be a part of that movement, and to have that impact, and in turn, make clearer, better music.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tEJAE, Ji-young Yoo, Audrey Nuna, Arden Cho, May Hong and Rei Ami are the collective singing and acting voices of \u201cKpop Demon Hunters.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDan Doperalski for Variety<\/p>\n

\n\tWhat\u2019s next for the singing and acting voices of Huntr\/X? <\/p>\n

\n\tEJAE, the singer and songwriter who performed at the Fifa World Cup told Variety at the Gold House Gold Gala that she is \u201cwriting an album. I\u2019m going to continue writing for other films or other artists as well. So, I\u2019m very excited to collaborate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tCho is knee deep in planning her destination wedding, which was put on hold as she promoted the film. She says, \u201c We\u2019re in post production for \u2018Perfect Girl.\u2019 I had a ton of music projects that I put on pause. I\u2019m starting to figure out a schedule of when I\u2019ll start releasing some of those things. It\u2019s such a creative outlet.\u201d She adds, \u201cIt\u2019s a lot of original music I wrote pre-pandemic, and in the pandemic. The songs are very different from anything I\u2019ve ever released before: a little bit more pop.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tJi-young Yoo, the speaking voice of Zoey, says her next project is the movie \u201cK-Pop Superstar.\u201d The actress did extensive vocal training, which she found \u201csurprisingly physically demanding.\u201d The film, shot in South Korea, and follows a young Korean-American woman who defies her family\u2019s wishes to compete in a televised competition to find the next K-pop girl group. \u201cI danced nearly daily. Rather than trying to disappear into the character like many of my previous roles, I embraced all the parts of myself that were most like her,\u201d she told Variety.<\/p>\n

\n\tHong is working on an indie film that is coming out soon. Currently, she can be seen on Hulu\u2019s \u201cNot Suitable For Work.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s Mindy Kaling\u2019s workplace comedy and was really fun to do in the midst of all of this because we shot in the fall, when it was starting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tRei Ami shared on social media, \u201cIn honor of Ani-May, I partnered up with Crunchyroll to bring my Attack on Titan fantasies to life.\u201d And she continues to enjoying hearing what the fans have to say. She says, \u201cMy favorite moments have been meeting the fans and hearing their stories of how the film has impacted their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tAnd Nuna says she\u2019s working on new music. With so much change in the last year, Nuna says, she chooses music to help process things in life because \u201cit\u2019s space where I feel like I can really understand my life in a different way than most people. I\u2019ve been reflecting and processing, and also getting ready for the summer festival run this year, where I\u2019m really excited about performing my own material.\u201d She adds she\u2019s been writing, and says, \u201cIt\u2019s been so healing, and it\u2019s been so exciting to understand how I actually feel about so many things that have happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tIt\u2019s a feat that\u2019s sure to be remembered in a decade, says Lee. \u201c10 years from now, when you look back, the filmmakers created something so special that resonated with fans, and everyone has a part in how this has come to life.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"June 20 marks the one-year anniversary of Netflix\u2019s \u201cKPop Demon Hunters\u201d release. Since then, the animated feature has…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":541581,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[263],"tags":[18,81507,117,19,17,4923,51992,327],"class_list":["post-541580","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-movies","tag-eire","tag-ejae","tag-entertainment","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-kpop-demon-hunters","tag-maggie-kang","tag-movies"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/116771103563875654","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/541580","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=541580"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/541580\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/541581"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=541580"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=541580"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=541580"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}