Latest news with #SonyAnimation
Express Tribune
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
'KPop Demon Hunters' joins Oscars digital screeners amid theatrical release for sing-along event
The 98th Academy Awards season begins on Friday, Augus 15t, with the first wave of digital screeners sent to over 11,000 Academy members via the Oscars' private streaming platform. Among the initial titles is Netflix's hit animated film KPop Demon Hunters, a major success since its June premiere. Produced by Sony Animation, K-Pop: Demon Hunters follows three pop-singer demon slayers and has become Netflix's fourth most-watched English-language movie, amassing 158.8 million views. Praised for its vibrant soundtrack, including tracks 'Golden' and 'Your Idol' by in-film groups Huntr/x and Saja Boys, the film has topped streaming charts and even entered the Billboard Hot 100. It also holds a 97% Rotten Tomatoes score, cementing its critical and commercial appeal. Joining K-Pop: Demon Hunters in the first Oscar screener batch are The Ugly Stepsister, The Luckiest Man in America, Becoming Led Zeppelin, Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, and Hello Beautiful. In a rare move for a Netflix release, K-Pop: Demon Hunters will also head to cinemas later this month. Select Regal Theatres will host sing-along screenings on August 23 and 24, marking the first widespread theatrical release of the film. With Netflix considering franchise expansion, the upcoming theatrical event may further boost its momentum during awards season.
Geek Culture
30-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Culture
Sony Animation's 'KPop Demon Hunters' Rises To Netflix's Most-Watched Original Animated Film Of All Time
It seems slaying charts and demons is no longer a thing of fiction for Sony Animation. The studio's surprise animated hit, Kpop Demon Hunters , has become the most-watched original film in Netflix history after achieving two major milestones: topping the streamer's chart in 41 countries in its opening week and reclaiming the No. 1 spot in its fourth week of release. More impressively, the movie continued to enjoy a rise in viewership during a time when it would typically be on a decline, chalking up another 26.3 million views for the period of 21 to 27 July and marking its sixth week in the top 10 charts. As of the time of writing, it now stands at No. 2 globally on the English Film list, behind the Adam Sandler-starring pic Happy Gilmore 2 . 'It's the moment! KPop Demon Hunters is Netflix's most-watched original animated film of ALL TIME,' reads the official announcement post on X/Twitter. The catchy music used in and written for the musical adventure is also holding its reign across various charts. 'Kpop Demon Hunters' is the highest-charting soundtrack of 2025 so far, with the majority of its songs currently on the Billboard Hot 100, including the first-place 'Golden' and 'Takedown', the opening number performed by popular girl group Twice's Jeongyeon, Chaeyeong, and Jihyo. Directed by Maggie Kang, who was head of story for The Lego Ninjago Movie , Kpop Demon Hunters centres on a fictional K-pop girl group, HUNTR/X (pronounced 'Huntrix'), who lead double lives as demon hunters, and face off against a rival boy band called Saja Boys, whose members are secretly demons. While primarily in English, it includes Korean dialogue and cultural nods, including dokkaebi, or goblins, the jeoseung saja, the Korean equivalent of the grim reaper (and the inspiration behind Saja Boys), and real-world locations like Namsan Park. Arden Cho ( Teen Wolf ), May Hong ( High Maintenance ), and Ji-young Yoo ( Moxie ) lead the voice cast as vocalist and overall leader Rumi, visual-slash-main-dancer Mira, and rapper Zoey, respectively. The trio are joined by other notable industry faces, such as Squid Game star Lee Byung-hun as antagonist Gwi-ma, actor-singer Ahn Hyo-seop ( Business Proposal ) as Jinu, leader of the Saja Boys, Daniel Dae Kim ( Hawaii Five-O ) as Healer Han, and Ken Jeong ( Crazy Rich Asians ) as Bobby, the manager and main representative of HUNTR/X. Renowned K-pop producer Teddy Park contributed to the soundtrack with his work on 'Golden', Soda Pop', and more, while previous songs like Exo's 'Love Me Right', Twice's 'Strategy, and MeloMance's 'Love Maybe', which most would recognise from the Korean drama Business Proposal , were also featured in the film. The popularity of KPop Demon Hunters caught the world by storm, owing to striking visuals, an interesting premise, and a blend of humour and emotional moments. It has been well-received by audiences and critics alike, scoring 97 per cent critic score and 92 per cent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 7.7 average rating on IMDb. Rotten Tomatoes describes its story as follows: 'When they aren't selling out stadiums, K-pop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey use their secret identities as badass demon hunters to protect their fans from an ever-present supernatural threat,' a description of the film from Rotten Tomatoes reads. 'Together, they must face their biggest enemy yet — an irresistible rival boy band of demons in disguise.' Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth's theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia's greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really. KPop Demon Hunters Netflix Sony Animation
Malay Mail
30-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Kpop Demon Hunters becomes Netflix's most-watched original animated film of all time
KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 — Sony Animation's surprise hit Kpop Demon Hunters has become the most-watched original animated film in Netflix history, according to Geek Culture. The musical fantasy film topped Netflix's chart in 41 countries during its opening week and reclaimed the No. 1 spot globally in its fourth week. In its sixth week, it racked up another 26.3 million views from July 21 to 27, securing its place in the platform's top 10. Currently sitting at No. 2 on Netflix's global English Film list—behind Happy Gilmore 2—the film's popularity continues to surge, defying the usual decline in streaming numbers over time. 'It's the moment! Kpop Demon Hunters is Netflix's most-watched original animated film of ALL TIME,' read an official Netflix post on X. It's their moment! KPop Demon Hunters is Netflix's most-watched original animated film of ALL TIME. July 29, 2025 The film's soundtrack has also taken the charts by storm. With most of its songs on the Billboard Hot 100, it's the highest-charting soundtrack of 2025 to date. The standout tracks include Golden and Takedown, the latter performed by members of K-pop group Twice — Jeongyeon, Chaeyeong, and Jihyo. Directed by Maggie Kang (The Lego Ninjago Movie), Kpop Demon Hunters tells the story of HUNTR/X, a fictional K-pop girl group who moonlight as demon hunters. Their adversaries are the Saja Boys — a rival boy band whose members are secretly demons. The film blends English and Korean dialogue, with cultural nods to dokkaebi (goblins), the jeoseung saja (grim reaper), and real-world locations like Namsan Park. The voice cast includes Arden Cho, May Hong and Ji-young Yoo, with appearances by Lee Byung-hun, Ahn Hyo-seop, Daniel Dae Kim and Ken Jeong.
Forbes
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘KPop Demon Hunters' Dethroned In Netflix's Top 10 List By A New Movie
KPop Demon Hunters While KPop Demon Hunters has performed exceptionally on Netflix's Top 10 list, another new Netflix original movie has come along to unseat it. And it is a very, very bad one, by all accounts. That would be The Old Guard 2, the sequel to the 2020 action film that apparently did well enough to warrant a sequel. It was well-reviewed, actually. It had an 80% critic scores and a solid 71% audience score, in the context of Netflix originals, quite good indeed. The Old Guard 2? It's a disaster. The film has a dismal 28% score from critics, a 52% drop, and so far, it's not beloved by fans either where it clocks in with a 43% score. Here's the synopsis of the Charlize Theron thriller: Top 10 The film has drawn in actress Uma Thurman this time around and given her a sword for the first time since Kill Bill, but that isn't enough, and if you liked the first one, you may want to skip this one. What you do not want to skip is KPop Demon Hunters, no matter where it ends up on the Top 10 list or how far it falls. The film is incredible with a 94% critic score and from Sony Animation, the group behind the Spider-Verse movies, and you can tell from the unique animation style here. The movie is so good that its soundtrack is charting high on Billboard, and there's already talk of a sequel given the reception. It's been high on the Top 10 list since its release well over two weeks ago, and I'd say that definitely makes it one of the most successful Netflix original movies we've seen in a while. So, skip The Old Guard 2 (maybe watch the first one, if you haven't) and check out KPop Demon Hunters. I know you will probably not regret either piece of advice. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
Forbes
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
You Must Watch Netflix's New No. 1, 97% Rotten Tomatoes Scored Movie
Kpop Demon Hunters Netflix original films have been wildly hit or miss across all genres, and scanning the board today, we have The Old Guard 2, a sequel to a not-great action movie returning for a not-great second go-round. But every so often, there are real bright spots, and we've recently gotten one with Netflix's #1 movie, one that has bounced in and out of that spot for over a week now, KPop Demon Hunters. The animated film is from Sony Animation of Spider-verse fame, and it delivers on the creativity and beauty of those films. The premise is admittedly absurd, but very fun, and you can read the synopsis below: There are demons, there are generations of singers that must sing and entertain the world in order to create a giant shield to keep the demons at bay. Sure, why not? But the end result of this is an absolutely stunning, heartfelt animated production that's up there with the best genre movies of the last decade. It's not just a good movie; the soundtrack has been dominating the charts. The 'fake' KPop groups, Huntrix and the Saja Boys, have found spots on the Billboard 200, entering at No. 8. This is the highest placement for a movie soundtrack since Wicked. Wicked! You can see how impressive this is. KPop Demon Hunters There have been rumblings about how this movie and universe may evolve from here. One idea is obviously a sequel, with more stories to be told about Huntrix in particular. Or I suppose it could focus on a different generation of song-base protectors. Another concept is a live-action feature, which I'm not sure would work quite as well, albeit I would be curious if they cast the actual voice actors or pull from real-life KPop groups. On social media, we've seen huge acts like BTS noticing and liking the movie, so its influence is spreading. It's also another example of Korean-centric content finding success on Netflix, which has exploded over time and is more than just well-watched Squid Game seasons. I don't really care about your age or musical interests, KPop Demon Hunters is just a very fun watch for anyone to enjoy, and I do hope they continue investing in this world. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
