KPOP Demon Hunters Ranks Second in Netflix Film History, OST Dominates Global Charts

Netflix’s animated film “KPOP Demon Hunters” has reached second place in Netflix’s all-time highest-grossing films list. Released on June 20, the movie accumulated 184.6 million views within about 7 weeks, with a total viewing duration of 376 million hours. Considering its runtime of 1 hour and 40 minutes, it has enjoyed explosive popularity worldwide. The film depicts a group of K-pop singers who also serve as demon hunters, known as HUNTR/X, fighting against evil spirits. It was co-directed by Canadian-Korean Maggie Kang and American Chris Appelhans. The gap between it and “Red Notice,” currently the highest-grossing Netflix film with 230.9 million views, has narrowed to 46.3 million views. With an average weekly view count of over 26 million in the past four weeks, it is likely to overtake “Red Notice” and claim first place soon. The film’s success stems from its unique musical fantasy world and the power of its music. The HUNTR/X song “Golden” featured in the movie reached number one on the UK Official Singles Chart Top 100 on the 1st, and it also topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on August 16. This is the first time a K-pop song performed by a female singer or group has reached the summit of the Hot 100. In addition to “Golden,” six other songs—including “How It’s Done,” “Your Idol,” and “Soda Pop”—made it onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The OST album also held second place on the Billboard 200 main album chart for two consecutive weeks. Thanks to the film’s popularity, Netflix is organizing special “Singalong” screenings. During these events, held to celebrate its global success, fans of HUNTR/X and their rival boy group SAZA BOYZ gather together to sing the movie’s songs. The screenings will take place on August 23 and 24 (U.S. time) in select theaters across the United States and Canada, with tickets available through Netflix’s dedicated website. The synergy between music and visuals has transformed this work from a simple entertainment piece into a cultural phenomenon. By highlighting the positive influence of Korean fandoms, the film not only demonstrates K-culture’s global reach but has also fueled Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s tourism and urban marketing strategies aimed at making Seoul a “fandom holy land.” Breaking through the limitations of the animation genre, “KPOP Demon Hunters” is racing toward the top alongside fans worldwide, opening up new possibilities for both K-pop and the animation industry.