KPop Demon Hunters Film Starring Ahn Hyo-seop Unveiled by Sony Pictures Animation

Sony Pictures Animation’s global project, “KPop Demon Hunters,” has been unveiled with the release of its official main trailer. This film has attracted significant attention as it marks actor Ahn Hyo-seop’s first leading role in a global animated production. “KPop Demon Hunters” is a hybrid action musical animation set in a dual-world scenario where members of internationally popular K-pop girl groups hunt demons outside of their stage performances. Produced by Sony Pictures Animation, known for creating “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” it was co-directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Applehanes. The character portrayed by Ahn Hyo-seop is the mysterious being named Jin-woo. The released teaser showcases Jin-woo appearing in the sky, seamlessly combined with Ahn Hyo-seop’s narration to create a compelling visual experience. Through this project, Ahn Hyo-seop not only handled English dialogue for the first time but also attempted motion capture acting, a new method of performance. Having previously impressed audiences with his delicate emotional acting in dramas and films, he shared that “the excitement I felt when I first read the script is still very vivid.” He added, “By playing the character Jin-woo, I got to experience a new way of working, and thanks to directors Maggie Kang and Chris Applehanes, along with the excellent production team and cast, I was able to enjoy the process greatly.” The film depicts K-pop girl group members Rami, Mira, and Joy who fill stadiums and top charts during the day but fight against evil forces at night to protect their fanbase. Tension is further heightened by the appearance of a rival boy band hiding secrets about demons. The voice cast includes Aden Cho (Partner Track) as Rami, Ahn Hyo-seop as Jin-woo, the leader of the demon boy band, Jiyoung Yoo (Expats) as Joy, and May Hong (Tales of the City) as Mira. International stars such as Joel Kim Boster (Fire Island), Lisa Koshy (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts), Danielle Dae Kim, Ken Jeong, and Lee Byung-hun (Squid Game) also participate. Music is a core element of this film. The soundtrack was composed and produced by top-tier Korean and international artists including Teddy Park from The Black Label, 24, IDO, DOMINSUK, and Danny Cheong. K-pop supergroup TWICE’s Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung contributed the original song titled “Takedown.” Described as a track “with a powerful beat and high energy,” it embodies “fierce determination and the will to destroy all lies.” Other contributors include EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Kevin Woo, and Lea Salonga. Director Maggie Kang explained her motivation for producing the film, stating, “It started from the desire to see Koreans in animated films. As a demon hunting project, I wanted to showcase Korean demons. Since demon hunting is usually considered a secret side job, the idea of what they do during the day came about.” “KPop Demon Hunters” is scheduled to release on Netflix on June 20.