Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters” Sets All-Time High View Count of 325 Million Views…Winning Annie Awards and VES Awards

Netflix’s animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” has established a new record as the most-watched title in the platform’s history. Just 91 days after its release on June 20, 2025, it reached 325.1 million views, becoming the most-viewed original film on Netflix to date, with a total viewing time of 541.8 million hours. Directed jointly by Canadian-Korean director Maggie Kang and Chris Applehanes, the film depicts K-pop girl group HUNTR/X as demon hunters who combat evil spirits. Produced by Sony Pictures Animation, the story is primarily in English but is praised for its meticulous integration of traditional Korean elements with modern culture. Director Maggie Kang revealed that despite moving to Canada at age five, she spent her summer vacations in Korea to immerse herself in its culture. She explained, “I wanted this work to feel as Korean as possible, so I incorporated various Korean elements into every design,” adding, “Many Korean staff members contributed significantly to its creation.” The production team visited locations such as Bukchon, Myeongdong, and the Folk Village to gather inspiration, carefully embedding Korean aesthetics into even the smallest details like Namsan Tower, Hanok houses, and Korean cuisine. The film blends K-pop with the genre of occult themes, drawing inspiration from Korean shamanism practices known as “gut.” Director Maggie Kang said, “Gut involves using music and dance to drive away monsters, and in a way, I thought of it as the earliest form of K-pop concert.” International artists including Teddy and other composers from The Black Label, as well as ZENA who has composed songs for BTS multiple times, contributed to the soundtrack. Korean actors such as Ahn Hyo-seop, who voiced the character Jin-woo, and Lee Byung-hun, who voiced the main villain Gwi-ma, also participated in voice acting in English. Singer TWICE also made a special contribution to the OST. Regarding the character design, Director Maggie Kang stated, “We did not reference any specific group or member; instead, all characters were inspired by various K-pop groups and their members.” The film has also achieved remarkable success at international film festivals. At the 2026 Annie Awards, it won 10 awards, including the top honor of “Best Feature Film,” as well as prizes for production, direction, music, production design, voice acting, adaptation, editing, and visual effects. It further received “Best Animated Feature” and “Best Original Song” at the 2026 Golden Globes, and “Best Animated Feature” at the 2026 Critics’ Choice Awards. At the VES Awards, it won in three categories: “Best Animation Feature,” “Character (Rumi),” and “Effects Simulation.” The film’s theme song, “Golden,” reached number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and has been selected for consideration at the Academy Awards, with the goal of winning awards for “Best Animated Feature” and “Best Original Song.” Meanwhile, the film’s success is spilling over into tourism and consumer markets. There has been an increase in foreign visitors to the National Museum of Korea, and reservations for K-culture experience products have surged. Themes from Korean shamanistic beliefs such as spirits of the afterlife, goblins, tiger ghosts, Dangsan trees, and gut ceremonies are generating strong interest among foreigners. Director Maggie Kang said, “Just like K-pop or K-beauty, Americans become enthusiastic whenever something has ‘K’ in front of it,” adding that she aims to introduce Korean culture through English. The production team acknowledged the challenges of creating a musical film based on K-pop, as no one had done so before, but they succeeded in crafting music with a true K-pop style after 7 to 8 rounds of revisions by the composers.