It’s been seven weeks since “KPop Demon Hunters” was released, and the viewing numbers on Netflix refuse to come back down to earth. The animated action-comedy continues to break records.
I’m honestly dumbfounded by the success of “KPop Demon Hunters.” This is the kind of high-concept, genre-blending movie you’d expect to find a niche audience — not completely dominate Netflix’s global charts for seven straight weeks. Who could’ve predicted that a stylized, demon-fighting K-pop girl group would be Netflix’s next major IP?
Netflix probably didn’t see this coming either since the film was originally developed by Sony Pictures Animation but was ultimately sold to them late last year. From its initial announcement to being picked up by the streaming, it took almost four years.
In case you’re unaware, “KPop Demon Hunters” is an animated action-comedy about a secret K-pop girl group who moonlight as demon slayers — it’s filled with glossy pop visuals and is absolutely music-driven. The critics have also been approving, it currently holds a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 76 on Metacritic.
The film is now the #4 most-watched English-language Netflix Original film of all time, with a staggering 159M CVEs to its name. What’s more, it’s now within striking distance of the unthinkable, beating “Red Notice” as the all-time Netflix viewing champ.
“Red Notice” has ruled Netflix’s all-time movie charts since 2021. However, What’s On Netflix’s Kasey Moore is reporting that with 58M views left to catch up and 44 days to go before it ages out of Netflix’s official Top 10 window, the math is starting to lean in favor of ‘K-pop.’
“KPop Demon Hunters” has a real shot at #1, and even if it doesn’t unseat “Red Notice,” it’s already eclipsed expectations and is a cinch to slide into the #2 all-time slot by next week. The film isn’t just a hit — it’s a phenomenon.
Puck’s Matt Belloni goes as far as to say “KPop Demon Hunters” is “arguably the movie of the summer,” at least in terms of “cultural impact,” which goes against the notion of only theatrical releases being able to hit the culture zeitgeist.
There’s no denying the cultural clout ‘KPop’ has gained, but how did this entire phenomenon happen exactly? Some are pointing towards the slick marketing and strong word-of-mouth across social media platforms such as TikTok and Twitter (X), while others just find its blend of action, gloss and camp irresistible to the mainstream. As with many of these cases, it’s probably a combination of both.
Regardless, Netflix clearly has a franchise on its hands, maybe even the streamer’s crown jewel IP, since it was recently announced that ‘KPop’ will be getting sequels, expanded universe spin-offs, and a live-action remake.