HUNTR/X
KPop Demon Hunters is a 2025 American animated musical urban fantasy film co-written and directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans. Produced by Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix, the film stars the voices of Arden Cho, Ahn Hyo-seop, May Hong, Ji-young Yoo, Yunjin Kim, Daniel Dae Kim, Ken Jeong, and Lee Byung-hun. The story follows a K-pop girl group, Huntrix, who lead double lives as demon hunters; they face off against a new rival boy band, the Saja Boys, whose members are secretly demons.
KPop Demon Hunters originated from Kang's desire to create a story inspired by her Korean heritage, drawing on elements of mythology, demonology, and K-pop to craft a visually distinct and culturally rooted film. The film was reported to be in production at Sony Pictures Animation by March 2021, with the full creative team attached, and was animated by Sony Pictures Imageworks. It was visually influenced by concert lighting, editorial photography, and music videos; and drew inspiration from anime and Korean dramas. The soundtrack features original songs by several musicians, and a score composed by Marcelo Zarvos.
KPop Demon Hunters began streaming on Netflix on June 20, 2025, while a sing-along version of the film received limited theatrical releases on August 23–24 and October 31 – November 2. The film received praise for its animation, visual style, voice acting, writing, and music and became the most-watched original title in Netflix history with over 500 million views. Its sing-along theatrical release was the widest by number of theaters for a Netflix film, and the first to top the box office in the United States. KPop Demon Hunters has garnered numerous accolades, including winning Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song at the 31st Critics' Choice Awards and 83rd Golden Globe Awards, and being featured in Time magazine as its 2025 Breakthrough of the Year.
The film's soundtrack achieved similar success; it became the first film soundtrack on the Billboard Hot 100 to have four of its songs in the top ten simultaneously, was certified double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in October 2025, and received five Grammy Award nominations along with receiving two nominations for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song (for "Golden") at the 98th Academy Awards. A sequel is planned to be released in 2029.
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