Netflix Says ‘KPop Demon Hunters' Just Made History With A New Record
It is hard to describe just how much of a strange, unprecedented success that KPop Demon Hunters is for Netflix, the animated film that has produced #1 musical hits, surpassing actual KPop artists' records of the likes of BTS and BLACKPINK.
Now, Netflix has officially announced that KPop Demon Hunters has done something that no other movie has done on the service. It has reached a new viewing peak five weeks after its original release.
I previously remarked that I believed it had set another record as the most 'resilient' Netflix movie, occasionally being knocked down to #2 or #3 in the Top 10 list before making it back to #1. I've never seen any movie do that in all the years I've covered the site. But Netflix has the actual data behind this, and hitting a new peak this late is the level of word of mouth you never see.
How is this happening? My guess is that the musical angle of this is the key. These songs have raced up every type of music industry chart there is, and when listeners figure out this is a fictional group from a Netflix movie they…want to go watch that Netflix movie. So here we are. It's also an extremely rewatchable film, and with so many songs, you can almost watch it on repeat like a sort of visual album.
The question now is what happens next with the KPop Demon Hunters franchise as yes, this is about to be a franchise. Rumi actress Arden Cho has been tweeting about all the movie's achievements for weeks, and on July 19, said, 'Can we be #1 until Netflix confirms a sequel? Pretty please @Netflix.' So, as of a few days ago, nobody told her one was happening, but…it's happening. Or something else is.
A sequel to KPop Demon Hunters is the most logical concept, of course. But you can also imagine that it could turn into an ongoing series rather than just another film. I've also heard the idea floated of making a live-action adaptation of it, but I can't say I find that to be a terribly good idea.
Something will be announced soon. The problem is when that something else will come, as I can't imagine this movie was concocted with a sequel already moving forward behind the scenes. So, starting from scratch and using this style of insanely good Sony animation is a recipe for a long gap. But the sooner a sequel or something is announced, the sooner they can get started. The news should be coming soon; I'm sure details are just being worked out behind the scenes.
Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram.
Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
12 minutes ago
- Forbes
Lee Min Of K-Pop Duo As One Dead At 46: R&B Singer Found In Apartment
The Korean music industry is mourning after the sudden and unexpected death of Lee Min. The Korean-American singer debuted in 1999 as one half of the duo As One with her band mate Crystal and spent over 25 years active in the scene, recently releasing new music this past summer. Lee was 46. BrandNew Music, the music agency representing Lee and As One, confirmed the news to Korean newspaper Hankook Ilbo on Wednesday, August 6. 'It is true that Lee Min has passed away,' a representative is quoted saying per The Korea Herald. 'The police are currently investigating the exact circumstances. The company is also still trying to understand the situation." Soompi adds that a BrandNew Music representative also shared, 'Last night, Lee Min's husband discovered her when he returned home. The police are conducting an investigation. We ask that people refrain from excessive speculation until the results are released.' The Korea Herald added that music industry sources first reported on Wednesday that Lee was found dead at her home on the previous afternoon on Tuesday, August 5. Min Lee Biography: From Los Angeles to Late '90s K-Pop Fame Born on December 15, 1978, Min Lee (neé Lee Min-young) was born in Seoul, South Korea, but moved to the United States with her family at just eight months. Lee grew up in the Los Angeles, California area, the same city as her future As One band mate Crystal (neé Chae Da-hee), where she graduated from Fairfax High School, the SoCal school whose alumni include Mila Kunis, Demi Moore and Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. In 1999, Lee and Chae debuted together as the R&B duo As One with their first album Day by Day released on November 23, 1999, during a particularly busy month for Korean-pop acts with new releases by top girl group S.E.S., boy band g.o.d, punk band Crying Nut and the dance-rap collective Koyote. Still, As One managed to stand out from the competition for their experienced vocal styles with Day by Day songs like the title track and 'Wish You Wouldn't Know' becoming beloved classics, the latter of which was covered by popular K-pop singer Gain for a compilation album in 2012. As One scored other hit songs including 'Want and Resent,' 'You're Welcome' and 'Do You Have to Be Sorry.' After the release of their fourth album Restoration in 2004, the duo signed with EMI Korea and joined a roster that included top K-pop acts of the day including DJ DOC and girl group Baby V.O.X. and continued releasing singles and albums. In 2012, the duo moved to BrandNew Music, a Korean music company founded by Korean rapper and producer Rhymer, which allowed their past works to be celebrated and shared with a new generation of K-pop listeners with songs like 'Day By Day 2012' featuring rapper Verbal Jint (which hit the Top 25 of Korea's Gaon Digital Chart) and 'Want and Resent 2013' (a Top 20 hit). While As One took an official pause from 2017 to 2019 to focus on their personal lives, the duo staged a comeback in 2019 with the signle 'It's OK Not to Be OK' featuring popular singer Lee Dae-hwi, a member of BrandNew Music's first boy band AB6IX. As One hosted the radio program K-Popular on TBS eFM radio while remaining active as singers, dropping several holiday and live albums through their career. Most recently, the duo dropped two singles in 2025 including the harmony-heavy mid-tempo English track 'Still My Baby' featuring singer Bumkey, as well as a piano R&B cut 'Happy Birthday to You' in June. The K-Pop Industry Remembers Min Lee Jae Chong, the Seoul-born and Los Angeles–raised producer who has worked with artists like Uhm Jung-hwa, BoA, Jolin Tsai, JYJ and Aziatikx, shared his condolences through social media. 'Just lost another great artist and friend," Chong wrote on his Instagram alongside photos of him with Lee. 'I met Min when she was just 17 with big dreams and took her out to Korea to pursue a career in music back in 1998. I watched her career blossom as an artist. Always considered her as family. She was the most optimistic, positive person I knew. She will be missed dearly. Rest in peace.' Singer Kim Hyun-sung, who debuted in 1997 and also staged a musical comeback in the 2010s, also shared his condolences on social media. 'I wanted to get in touch with you,' he said according to the Maeil Business Newspaper. 'I shouldn't have hesitated. I already miss your smile and the sound of your laugh.'
Cosmopolitan
12 minutes ago
- Cosmopolitan
Rachel Recchia Calls Louis Russell 'Selfish' for Spoiling ‘Perfect Match'
It looks like Love Island USA's Huda Mustafa found romance beyond the villa with Too Hot to Handle alum Louis Russell after they hard-launched their relationship on the red carpet. We love to see wait a minute. Hasn't Louis been exploring another connection with Love Is Blind's Sandy Gallagher on the current season of Perfect Match, which released its first six episodes this summer? Yes, yes he has. Allow us to elaborate. The Netflix reality series reportedly started filming over a year ago after it was renewed for its third season in June 2024, so his real-life relationship with Huda is, unfortunately, a major spoiler. Because of it, we know Louis and Sandy's flirtation will fizzle out at some point—and fellow Perfect Match cast member Rachel Recchia is fully calling him out for it, too. During an interview on Nick Viall's The Viall Files podcast, Rachel shared that she was 'disappointed' when she saw Louis and Huda walk the red carpet of the Weapons movie premiere on July 31. 'It's literally airing—we have what, maybe two weeks? It feels, like, a little selfish,' Rachel said, referring to the remaining episodes' release schedule. 'It affects the whole cast.' She clarified that while it's frustrating, there's no bad blood between her and Louis, adding, 'I love him as a person. I think he's amazing. I get along with him so well. He's such great TV.' She continued, 'I mean, Sandy and him have such a good connection on the show. Now people are kinda seeing things like, 'Oh, what's going on now?'' The Bachelor Nation alum also said that 'everything that's happening now is crazy' in the aftermath of Louis going public with Huda and his alleged falling out with Love Island: Beyond the Villa star, Miguel Harichi. ICYMI, Miguel's girlfriend, Leah Kateb, and her PPG besties Serena Page and JaNa Craig, all unfollowed Louis on social media after he stepped out on the red carpet with Huda. Love Island USA devotees thought this was Huda shade, but Leah later clarified that it had nothing to do with the season 7 fan favorite and more to do with Louis. Then, Miguel cleared the air with a series of Instagram Stories, in which he wrote, 'Leah and the girls didn't unfollow Louis because he was dating Huda, they did it because as women the reasoning behind why he was dating her didn't sit right with them.' He added, 'Whether or not they are truly falling for each other at this point I couldn't care less. I wish them nothing but peace, but my road is my own and I would prefer if my name and my girl's name no longer crossed into their world.' Oh, and if you're wondering how Rachel is feeling about her ill-fated reunion with Clayton Echard on Perfect Match? As she told Nick: 'I think he came on the show because he did want that redemption and I'm the easiest path to it... He said we're both better versions of ourselves. I definitely am.'
Refinery29
13 minutes ago
- Refinery29
'I'm Not Afraid Any More.' Joy Sunday On Wednesday & Growth Between Seasons
Joy Sunday glides into the lobby of The Whitby Hotel in New York City's midtown donning a caramel corset and flouncy Emilio Pucci mini skirt. Sunday's presence and her features are strikingly captivating, but she doesn't need the striped blazer or greenish-blue contacts she wears to suit up for her role as Bianca Barclay on Netflix's Wednesday to turn heads in real life. It's clear that Sunday's confidence gives life to Bianca, the siren with the power to mesmerize and persuade even the most strong-willed. Bianca is Sunday's first role as a main character in a TV series. And with the show being Netflix's most watched English language original series ever, she hit the ground running. Now going into a new season — the first four episodes premiere today, Wednesday, August 6 — Sunday assures you, me, and everyone else watching that she isn't stopping. At all. 'I'm being very strategic about how I'm moving forward, because I'm not losing this platform,' the 28-year-old New York native said matter of factly. 'I'm taking it to the end, and I want to take others with me. It's not a threat, but it's a promise.' ' I'm taking it to the end, and I want to take others with me. It's not a threat, but it's a promise. joy sunday on acting beyond 'wednesday' ' In Season 1, we're introduced to Bianca as a popular student at Nevermore Academy who has control over her powers, despite the mistrust she faces from others, including her ex. When Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) shows up, they share a brief rivalry before Bianca joins her investigation into the mayor's death. Season 2 goes deeper into Bianca's vulnerability, Sunday explained. Bianca's past comes back to haunt her and she begins reckoning with her relationship with her mother, a siren who uses her powers to scam and wants her daughter to follow suit. 'In Season 2, she's trying to hide herself and conceal what's going on in the background, and so she's really having to come to terms with what she really didn't want to do in Season 1,' Sunday said. 'Now she's being forced to [be a] more compassionate individual. Because that's something that she judged her mom, Gabrielle (Gracy Goldman), for so heavily in Season 1, and that now she finds herself in the same position.' Addressing motherhood wounds plays a huge part in Season 2 overall. Viewers will see most of the main characters' relationships with their moms, for better or worse. As Bianca navigates her own challenges at school, she's now faced with the task of protecting Gabrielle, a theme the teen experienced in their relationship growing up. Sunday said she appreciates the duo's redemptive arc and the opportunity to find healing for them. ' Young Black women are forced to mature faster than anyone else is to understand their relationship to the world... I think that's why it's so special to get to see Bianca need help and to eventually learn to ask for it. joy sunday ' Despite this being a fantastical world, Sunday believes that forgiveness is important to see. Especially for Black girls who often have to mature faster than others. 'Young Black women are forced to mature faster than anyone else is to understand their relationship to the world and to the family, how the world sees them and how they see themselves,' Sunday passionately stated. 'I think that's why it's so special to get to see Bianca need help and to eventually learn to ask for it. And it's also nice to see people come to her aid without her asking for it, and to see people advocate for her as well.' Though Bianca's confidence may have wavered a bit since the first season, Sunday's has only grown. Three years ago when Wednesday first premiered, Sunday was still new to doing press runs and red carpets. 'I almost felt like I needed to play a role or to fit in terms of how I was presenting myself,' she admitted. That feeling has faded as she's gotten her reps in for projects like Rise (2023) and Under The Influencer (2024). But with the writers and actors strike in 2023 and a shaky Hollywood economy, Sunday admits that work hasn't been as steady. Thankfully, becoming a global ambassador for Lancome has helped sustain her and her family. 'It's been a journey of working my way back to this feeling of confidence and this feeling of, I've got some shit to do,' she explained. 'I've been through trials and tribulations, but I think it's really an important part of the actor's journey to share that it's not always going to be the 'hurry up.' Sometimes it's going to be the 'wait.'' This isn't looking like a 'wait' season for Sunday, however. In February, Deadline announced that the actor would be joining the HBO limited series DTF St. Louis. And ahead of its Season 2 premiere, Netflix renewed Wednesday for a third season. Going forward, Sunday is prepared to show the industry more of what she's made of. She's eyeing more fantasy and supernatural roles and some action. (She's specifically manifesting Interview With the Vampire and Ghost Dog 2.) In this era, Sunday knows she's more than good. 'I feel empowered to say I am that much more extensive of an artist, and I'm not afraid to show that,' she said. 'In Season 1, I was kind of afraid of having to fit in the boxes. I wanted to make sure that everything would go well, but I'm not afraid any more. I'm excited.'
