Are there more ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ stories to come?
After making history with KPop Demon Hunters, which is currently the most-watched movie of all time on Netflix, creator and co-director of the hit animated flick, Maggie Kang, has finally broken the ice about the future of the film.
In a recent conversation with the BBC during her European visit, Kang expressed excitement for potentially “more stories” surrounding the K-pop group of demon slayers, HUNTR/X.
Although there’s nothing set in stone to confirm, Kang and co-director Chris Applehans are convinced there’s more to be done with these characters who have become fan-favourites in the world of streaming. “Whatever it will be, it will be a story that deserves to be a sequel, and it will be something that we want to see,” she teased.
KPop Demon Hunters has had the most astounding cultural impact this year, surprisingly dethroning Squid Game in the process to become the most popular Netflix title in its streaming history. To date, it has amassed over 325million views, and as the weeks progress, it keeps adding milestones one after another in its never-ending badges of honour.
Amidst its record-breaking performance, a sing-along version was released in the theatres for a limited time period in August, which also ended up as the first-ever Netflix film to top the US box office. But that’s not all. The songs from KPop Demon Hunters were quick to leave their mark on the Billboard charts, with the soundtrack becoming the first in history to have four songs simultaneously appearing in the US top 10 charts.
‘Golden’ by HUNTR/X reportedly completed eight weeks on the summit, drawing with The Archies’ ‘Sugar Sugar’ for the most time spent on the top of the charts by an animated act. Presently, the buzz surrounding the film to land an Oscar nomination is also at an all-time high. What has made fans all the more convinced is the Gold Derby predictions, which have chosen KPop Demon Hunters as the favourite for the ‘Best Animated Film,’ putting it ahead of Zootopia 2 and Elio.
Speaking of which, Applehans joked, “The title alone is obviously Oscar bait.” “We tried to do something new, and it was really hard, and I think we’re really proud of how it came out. But if people are going to reward that, that would be awesome,” he continued. However, this is not the only category in which KPop Demon Hunters has a chance at the Oscars.
It could also be potentially up for the ‘Best Original Song’ category with ‘Golden,’ the KPop Demon Hunters anthem. Yet, according to the rules, a film can submit three entries. Netflix has confirmed that ‘Golden’ will be up for the Academy’s consideration. However, the question still looms large surrounding the other two entries.
“I think ‘Your Idol’ is such a banger,” says Kang regarding the Saja Boys song. “We’re so proud of the song, but also the sequence. We cheered, we were so proud of it.” On the contrary, Applehans was counting on another HUNTR/X track, choosing ‘What It Sounds Like’ instead. He acknowledged that the finale was a major “technical challenge,” both in terms of songwriting and storytelling. “To make a song that was the climax of your movie, with a lot of moving parts, but was also an actual cathartic song,” he explains.
But as the tabloid host rooted for the possibility of ‘Soda Pop’ joining the race, Kang joked, “Maybe we could get four?” In any case, Applehans wants to submit them all. However, only time will tell what awaits their Oscar fate in the future.