'K-POP Demon Hunters' Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Film, with OST 'Golden' Claiming Billboard’s Top Spot

Netflix’s original animated film "K-POP Demon Hunters" has created history. Released on June 20, it became Netflix’s most-watched film in company history just two months after its debut, accumulating 236 million views to date. It immediately topped charts in 41 countries and reached number one simultaneously in 59 additional nations. The film also made it into the top 10 in 93 countries, demonstrating overwhelming enthusiasm from global audiences. The story follows a female K-POP group named Huntrix, whose members possess dual identities as heroes who protect the world from evil spirits. Huntrix’s members Rumi, Joy, and Mira fight against an evil group called "Lion Boys" that disguises itself as K-POP boy groups, with the film meticulously replicating the characteristics of real K-POP idols and music. Rumi’s dragon headband was featured by BLACKPINK’s Jennie in the music video for "Kill This Love," while Jinwoo’s visual design was inspired by actor Nam Joo-hyuk, ASTRO’s Cha Eunwoo, and BTS’s Jung Kook. This deep understanding of K-POP culture resonated strongly with global fans. The key factor behind the film’s success was its original soundtrack. Huntrix’s "Golden" replaced Alex Warren’s "Ordinary," which had held the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for 28 consecutive weeks, by taking the number one position. This marked the first time since Destiny’s Child’s "Bootylicious" in 2001 that a girl group song reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100. "Golden" later topped the UK Singles Chart for four consecutive weeks, becoming the first K-POP song to achieve this since PSY’s "Gangnam Style" in 2012. The Billboard Radio Songs Chart, the most competitive chart as it is determined solely based on radio play promotion without influence from fan purchases or streaming, saw "Golden" make its debut at position 42—a historic achievement for a K-POP girl group. Despite being fictional idols, Huntrix became the second K-POP girl group to enter this chart, with FIFTY FIFTY’s "Cupid" being the first two years prior. "Golden"’s voice actors and singers, Lee Jae, Audrey Nana, and Lay Aimi, each appeared on Billboard charts, with Lee Jae becoming the fourth solo female artist from the K-POP genre to enter the Radio Songs Chart. During the analysis period, "Golden" recorded 33.8 million streams, a 3% increase from the previous week, along with 16.2 million radio points, a 39% rise, and 8,000 units sold, a 11% increase. The film’s settings have become new hotspots for tourism in South Korea. Naksan Park and Bukchon Hanok Village are crowded with foreign tourists visiting these "holy sites" from the movie, and there has also been a sharp increase in foreign visitors to the National Museum of Korea. Tourists continue their "K-POP Demon Hunters" pilgrimages by searching for the concert venues, jjimjilbangs, coin karaoke shops, and snack stalls depicted in the film. This success has gone beyond mere popularity of Hallyu content by impacting the entire industry structure. The film demonstrated a futuristic model of K-content marketing that combines music, animation, virtual characters, and global fandoms. It is praised for encouraging consumers to become active fans through fan-driven social media challenges, fan art, and cover videos. Collaborations between companies for merchandise and product-based marketing are also thriving. Sony Pictures invested $100 million in production costs plus an additional $25 million in distribution fees. Of the estimated $1 billion (approximately 1.38 trillion won) in revenue, around $20 million (approximately 27.7 billion won) has been earned so far. Netflix has reaped significant benefits from advertising revenue, member subscription fees, and media marketing income. The "Singalong" special screenings held in North American theaters generated approximately $18 million (approximately 24.9 billion won) over the weekend of the 23rd and 24th, ranking first in box office performance. Netflix is actively pursuing strategies to develop this work into a next-generation global franchise, planning to expand its fan base through theater singalong screenings and official merchandise releases. A sequel is also in preparation, with plans to advance the next project after giving sufficient time, similar to the approach taken with the "Frozen" series.