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New York Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘KPop Demon Hunters' Took 7 Years to Make but a Lifetime of Experience
Ever since its release on Netflix last month, the original animated film 'KPop Demon Hunters' has burned up the internet — and the charts. The musical fantasy has topped the streamer's global rankings and inspired countless memes, dance challenges (some even by K-pop stars), themed merchandise and fan art. The film's equally blockbuster soundtrack has stormed the music charts, with eight of its songs landing in the Billboard Hot 100. 'KPop Demon Hunters' follows the members of a fictional K-pop girl group as they juggle demanding careers and fight to save the world from soul-stealing demons. The film's directors, Maggie Kang (a veteran storyboard artist on films like 'Rise of the Guardians' and 'Puss in Boots' ) and Chris Appelhans (who directed 'Wish Dragon'), spoke about the making of their movie and its unexpected rise as a global cultural phenomenon. Here are edited excerpts from the conversation. Maggie, the story behind 'KPop Demon Hunters' was your idea. What convinced you that a film that combines disparate elements like K-pop, animation, traditional Korean art and mythology, and demons could resonate with so many different audiences? MAGGIE KANG Well, nothing did. [Laughs] I was basically just trying to make something that I wanted to see: a movie that celebrated Korean culture. And for some reason, I landed on demonology. I thought the jeoseung saja [grim reapers in Korean mythology] — which is what the boys are at the end of the movie with the black hats and the black robes — was such an iconic image from my childhood that I was very scared of, so I knew that I wanted to feature that. And the thought of demons naturally led to demon hunters. I wanted to see female superheroes that were a lot more relatable, who like to eat and make silly faces. We weren't trying to make them just pretty, sexy and cool. They had very real insecurities and showed that. Demon hunting is usually done very secretly, so these girls needed a public-facing persona. I was also really wanting to do something K-pop-related. It was like, let's just see if these two things can go together. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The #1 Netflix movie right now has spent an entire month in the streamer's global Top 10
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, BGR may receive an affiliate commission. Netflix, I hope you have profusely thanked directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, along with everyone else who worked on KPop Demon Hunters — a glittery, candy-colored spectacle of an animated gem that's not only one of the best original movies the streamer has released in years, but also a ratings smash hit for the streamer. The movie, about a fictional K-pop girl group that hunts demons, is so big that it's actually dominated the Netflix global Top 10 movies chart for an entire month now, while its soundtrack has likewise taken the Billboard charts by storm. This week, in fact, Billboard reported that the soundtrack has climbed to #2 on the Billboard 200, while seven of its tracks (led by 'Golden,' from the movie's fictional K-pop girl group HUNTR/X) are currently on the Billboard Hot 100. Today's Top Deals XGIMI Prime Day deals feature the new MoGo 4 and up to 42% off smart projectors Best deals: Tech, laptops, TVs, and more sales Best Ring Video Doorbell deals Long story short: If anything could be said to have attained the status of pop culture conversation-starter of the summer, it's this Netflix standout — which, by the way, is also on track to become the most-watched Netflix animated movie ever. In terms of the latest data on the movie from Netflix, as noted above, it's now spent four weeks on the streamer's global Top 10 English-language movies chart. It racked up another 24.2 million views for the 7-day period that ended on July 13, it's a Top 10 Netflix movie in 93 countries this week — and it's actually the #1 movie in 26 countries, including Canada, the UK, and more. KPop Demon Hunters comes from the same studio behind Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Netflix's The Mitchells vs. The Machines, and the movie's central characters are a trio of K-pop megastars named Rumi, Mira, and Zoey who dominate the charts by day and hunt demons at night. Their rivals are The Saja Boys, a seductive boy band made up of heartthrobs that are also literal demons. In terms of some of its other achievements, the movie has managed to achieve a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes critics' score as of this writing (96%) as well as an audience score that's in the same ballpark (91%). 'I'm a 45 year old dad and watched this with my two girls,' one YouTube commenter raved earlier this month. 'I cried like the fan dudes in the film. I guess it's never too late to become a K-pop fan.' The best thing about the movie, for me, is that it was clearly made by people who have a genuine affection for K-pop. And that love shines through in every detail, from the character designs to the soundtrack, making K-Pop Demon Hunters feel, instead of just another Netflix release, more like a love letter in celebration of K-pop's energy, spirit, and global impact. Don't Miss: Today's deals: Nintendo Switch games, $5 smart plugs, $150 Vizio soundbar, $100 Beats Pill speaker, more More Top Deals Memorial Day security camera deals: Reolink's unbeatable sale has prices from $29.98 See the
Forbes
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Meet The Man Behind The Music Of ‘KPop Demon Hunters': Ian Eisendrath
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 16: (L-R) Ian Eisendrath and Michelle Wong attend the KPop Demon ... More Hunters Special Screening at Netflix Tudum Theater on June 16, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo byfor Netflix) Netflix's animated film, KPop Demon Hunters, has become a pop culture phenomenon. It's impossible to ignore its global sensation, as it hit No. 1 on the streaming network for several weeks, topped the music charts with its soundtrack, was the top topic on every social media platform, and is even being promoted by Netflix for Oscar submissions for Best Original Song. Directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, the film follows a K-pop girl group who moonlight as demon hunters, protecting humanity against supernatural threats. They face their biggest threat from a rival group, the Saja Boys, who are demons in disguise. The music has been heavily praised by critics, fans, and those in the K-pop industry, including BTS, MonstaX, EXO, Enhypen, Wonho, ITZY, and more. Executive music producer Ian Eisendrath is amazed by the reception because he was so focused on the task at hand during production that he didn't think about the potential reactions. 'When you work on these things, you're in a tunnel,' Eisendrath says over Zoom. 'You're almost blind [because] you're moving forward and dealing with all of the challenges of making something original. Having the film receive the way it is, paying off emotionally, and speaking to a contemporary audience is so thrilling.' As executive music producer, Eisendrath wore many hats for the film: conductor, arranger, music and vocal producer, and more. He's been praised by the directors and his music team as the reason for the success of the music and their performances. Eisendrath says it was a team effort. 'I was just the luckiest person,' he says. 'The main thing I got to do was harness all of the incredible creativity, experience, and authenticity of these artists. That was my favorite thing. How do we bring these hitmakers from the pop world into a theatrical world while letting them do the thing they do best?' In the early stages of KPop Demon Hunters, Kang and Appelhans discussed the film being a non-traditional musical, which meant the music had no direct involvement with the storytelling; however, this proved to be difficult for a movie centering on K-pop idols. They had to connect the music with the story, which is where Eisendrath came in. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 16: Ian Eisendrath and Ejae attend Netflix's "KPop Demon Hunters" ... More Special Screening at Netflix Tudum Theater on June 16, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images) The Olivier Award-winning, Grammy-nominated music producer was first approached by Spring Aspers, President of Music at Sony Motion Picture Group, to work on Kpop Demon Hunters, after they had worked together on Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile. Eisendrath was no stranger to tying in musicals with film and television. He had worked as the music supervisor, arranger, and conductor for the critically-acclaimed Broadway musical Come From Away, and as executive music producer for Disney's live-action Snow White, Hulu's Only Murders in the Building, and Sony Pictures' Lyle Lyle Crocodile. He knew how to connect music into the story and build it from there, because he's always been interested in this kind of storytelling. 'I went to the University of Michigan School of Music and started as a theater-directing and music major,' he explains. 'I've always been interested in music dramaturgy – what a song, both musically and lyrically, can do for the narrative experience. I've always been interested in how we make musical theater and film musicals, all of which reach an audience beyond your typical Broadway or musical-loving audience.' He understands the first song is key to gaining the audience's trust and, from there, creating moments where the characters' singing feels earned, welcomed, and organic. Working closely with the directorial team and the music team, he collaborated with both to blend their efforts and tell the story effectively. 'My background was the directing side and the music side,' he describes. 'With all the stuff I've done in theatre, it's the same job as bringing everything together. I truly love the process on the mixing and music editorial side and working with all of these artists who all have their specialty and learning to speak their [music] language and understanding each person's aesthetic, paradigm, and how we bring that all together.' Eisendrath teamed up with K-pop music giants THEBLACKLABEL and other songwriters to craft lyrics that sound like pop music, while also uncovering character development and story. He explains, '[The movie leads] are singers, and a large percentage of the songs are performances. However, you can't just sing a song. If you're going to take up two to four minutes of screen time, even if it's in performance, there needs to be something serving the story, the action, the dramatic arc of the characters, the microcosm of the moment, and then the whole arc of the film itself. It was wonderful wrestling as a team to figure out where that line was.' The team wrote several songs for each scene, but as the story evolved, so did the lyrics and sound. Over the course of three years, the story changed the vibe, timing, and everything, but more songs continued to emerge organically with it all. 'The other thing that was really special about this was the alchemy of the number of songwriting voices that were brought to this film,' He says, crediting Aspers for her constant guidance through it. 'It felt like the Avengers of pop [music]. It was an amazing team. It was a wonderful community and collaboration.' LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 16: Anne Eisendrath and Ian Eisendrath attend Netflix's "KPop Demon ... More Hunters" Special Screening at Netflix Tudum Theater on June 16, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images) Eisendrath was also excited to be working in the Korean pop world. He listened to some songs before signing onto the project and thought it could be a theatrical genre, hoping someone would adapt it into a musical or film. But when he was hired onto the project, he began to immerse himself in the K-pop world. Kang and the songwriters sent him several K-pop playlists to listen to. The Spotify algorithm then showed him several 'amazing' K-pop playlists. 'I listened to it all,' he says enthusiastically. 'Honestly, the more I got to know [the music, I recognized] there's a vibe. There is sort of this EDM dance element to it, which I love, and highly-edited, multi-layered vocals. I was instantly attracted [to it]. This is going to be so amazing for the film.' He became a student of the genre, learning about the music in depth, including the various types of K-pop styles. He noticed how huge, emotional, and over-the-top it was in a theatrical way, which made it perfect for the theatre. 'It's perfect for characters to sing and dance to,' he says. 'There's such variety. These tracks are huge—hundreds and hundreds of vocal tracks on every song. There are so many elements in these tracks. We had a big choir ensemble that sang on many of the tracks.' He has become a fan of almost every K-pop group – both past and present, including IDLE (formerly (G)IDLE), BLACKPINK, BTS, and Stray Kids. He emphasized that he loves them all and couldn't list them all, as there are so many groups. 'There's just so much great stuff out there,' he admits. 'I fell in love with everything, but that's how I am when I'm doing these projects. My career has involved many projects with a specific musical heritage and culture. I don't approach it with 'What do I love or what I don't love?' It's more like an obsession with getting to know it. I just fell in love with so many groups.' It also includes TWICE, who worked on the soundtrack version of 'Takedown.' Eisendrath states that the decision to have three members of TWICE participate in the film was made possible by Aspers and Dana Sano, Executive Vice President of Film & Television. 'The two of them sought out TWICE and brought them to us,' says Eisendrath. 'It was a game changer for me. This was the biggest [indicator] that we might be on the right track because my biggest fear was that this would not land with the K-pop audience. The fact that TWICE was excited and wanted to perform a song, [I thought], 'Okay, we're going in the right direction.' They're such a natural choice for this. It's incredible.' Since the film and its music have garnered a lot of attention, many speculate that a sequel is imminent. When asked if he thought about other Korean artists that he'd be interested in collaborating with for the film or in other outside projects, he hasn't thought that far ahead yet – even hypothetically. He is interested in exploring the other sub-genres of K-pop, but it would depend on the story. 'The story drives everything and the content will dictate form,' Eisendrath says. 'That would all depend on what the story is, who is singing, what they need, and then from there, all the references will add up.'
Express Tribune
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Will ‘KPop Demon Hunters' get a sequel?
Following its June 20 release, KPop Demon Hunters has quickly become a global sensation. The animated Netflix fantasy, about a K-pop girl group who moonlight as demon hunters, has racked up over 56 million views and dominated the top 10 in 93 countries. With such success, fans are wondering: will there be a sequel? While Netflix hasn't officially greenlit KPop Demon Hunters 2, the film's creators and cast are eager to continue the story. Co-directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans have hinted at deeper lore yet to be explored. 'There are a lot of questions left unanswered and areas that are not explored,' Kang told Variety. 'We had to make choices, but there's so much more story there.' The film ends on a hopeful but open note. Rumi, who embraces her half-demon identity, helps restore peace with the help of bandmates Mira and Zoey. Still, the sacrifice of the Saja Boys' leader Jinu and his soul merging with Rumi opens the door for new conflicts and emotional twists in a sequel. Cast members Ji-young Yoo, Arden Cho, and May Hong are all on board. Yoo told Mama's Geeky, 'I'll be honestly a little bummed if we can't do a sequel,' while Cho said she'd be 'heartbroken' if it didn't happen. With high viewership and a chart-topping soundtrack, the demand is clear. Now fans just need Netflix to make it official.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘KPop Demon Hunters' Cannot Be Stopped on the Charts
The love for KPop Demon Hunters, Netflix's latest animated film, and its soundtrack, only seems to be growing. Directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, Demon Hunters follows Huntrix members Rumi, Mira and Zoey as they perform undeniably catchy K-pop tracks by day and battle demons by night. The girls spend the film facing off against a newly formed boy band, Saja Boys, a group of secret demons who are using their popularity to steal souls. More from The Hollywood Reporter Kanye West's Ex-Assistant Adds Sexual Battery and Sex Trafficking to Claims in Lawsuit Doechii on Viral BET Awards Speech Calling Out President Trump: "Wasn't Sh** They Could Do" OneRepublic Leaves Interscope After 18 Years, Sign New Deal With BMG The movie, which returned to the top of Netflix's U.S. movie top 10, has perhaps found its biggest impact in the form of its soundtrack. The compilation of mostly original songs has taken real-world music charts by storm. The song's lead single, 'Golden,' sung by the girl group Huntrix (EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami), hit No. 1 on Spotify's Daily Top Songs Global Chart Thursday — it remained in the top spot in the U.S. Meanwhile, 'Your Idol,' from the film's fiction boy group, the Saja Boys (Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Kevin Woo, Samuil Lee and Danny Chung), held the No. 4 spot on the streamer's Daily Top Songs Global Chart and No. 2 on the U.S. only version of the chart. The cast of KPop Demon Hunters has the most spots on the Daily Top Songs Global Chart, as of Thursday. The soundtrack hit No. 1 on the streamer's global Weekly Top Albums Chart and No. 2 on its U.S. chart for the week of July 3. The cast of voice actors and singers are No. 10 on the platform's Weekly Top Artists Global chart for the week of July 3. Demon Hunters had a banner week on the Billboard charts as well. There are currently seven songs from the film's soundtrack charting on the Hot 100, with Huntrix's 'Golden' leading the charge at No. 23, although Saja Boy anthem 'Your Idol' is not far behind at No. 31. The overall soundtrack rose to No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart this week after debuting at No. 8 last week. KPop Demon Hunters earned the title of highest charting soundtrack of the year, according to Republic Records, and the largest streaming week of a soundtrack in two years. The film's executive music producer told The Hollywood Reporter that the film plans to make 'Golden' its awards submission. Best of The Hollywood Reporter From 'Party in the U.S.A.' to 'Born in the U.S.A.': 20 of America's Most Patriotic (and Un-Patriotic) Musical Offerings Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025
