KPop Demon Hunters

''KPop Demon Hunters'' is a 2025 American animated musical fantasy comedy film produced by Sony Pictures Animation and released by Netflix. It was directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, from a screenplay by Kang, Appelhans, and Hannah McMechan and Danya Jimenez, based on a story conceived by Kang. The film stars the voices of Arden Cho, Ahn Hyo-seop, May Hong, Ji-young Yoo, Yunjin Kim, Daniel Dae Kim, Ken Jeong, and Byung-hun Lee. It follows a K-pop girl group, Huntrix, who lead double lives as demon hunters, and face off against a rival boy band, whose members are secretly demons.

''KPop Demon Hunters'' originated from Kang's desire to create a story inspired by her Korean heritage, drawing on elements of mythology, demonology, and K-pop to craft a visually distinct and culturally rooted film. The film was reported to be in production at Sony Pictures Animation by March 2021, with the full creative team attached. The film was animated by Sony Pictures Imageworks and was stylistically influenced by concert lighting, editorial photography, and music videos as well as anime and Korean dramas. The soundtrack features original songs by several talents, and a score composed by Marcelo Zarvos.

''KPop Demon Hunters'' was released on June 20, 2025, on Netflix.

Plot

The film follows the three members of the K-pop girl group Huntrix – Rumi, Mira, and Zoey – who lead double lives as secret demon hunters dedicated to protecting their fans from supernatural forces. Huntrix faces off against a rival boy band known as the Saja Boys whose members are secretly demons.

Voice cast

* Arden Cho as Rumi, the leader of Huntrix
** EJAE provides Rumi's singing voice
** Rumi Oak as young Rumi and Young Fan
* Ahn Hyo-seop as Jinu, the leader of the Saja Boys
** Andrew Choi provides Jinu's singing voice
* May Hong as Mira
** Audrey Nuna provides Mira's singing voice
* Ji-young Yoo as Zoey
** Rei Ami provides Zoey's singing voice
* Yunjin Kim as Celine, Rumi's foster mother and former demon hunter
** Lea Salonga provides Celine's singing voice
* Joel Kim Booster as Romance Saja, Variety Show Host 1, and Idol Host
** samUIL Lee provides Romance Saja's voice
* Alan Lee as Mystery Saja
** Kevin Woo provides Mystery Saja's voice
* Sungwon Cho as Abs Saja
** Neckwav provides Abs Saja's voice
* Liza Koshy as Host
* Daniel Dae Kim as Healer Han
* Ken Jeong as Bobby, Huntrix' manager
* Byung-hun Lee as Gwi-Ma, the demon king

Production

Development

In March 2021, a film with the working title ''K-Pop: Demon Hunters'' was announced to be underway at Sony Pictures Animation. Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans would direct with writing duo Hannah McMechan and Danya Jimenez writing the script and Aron Warner and Michelle L.M. Wong serving as producers. Mingjue Helen Chen and Ami Thompson were also announced as production designer and art director, respectively.

It was conceived by Kang who wanted to make a film "set in Korean culture"; she "delved into mythology and demonology for something that could be visually unique" compared to "mainstream media". She also called the film her "love letter to K-Pop" and her "Korean roots". On character design, Kang highlighted wanting to differentiate from "Marvel female superheroes that were just sexy and cool and badass" and instead have "girls who had potbellies and burped and were crass and silly and fun" leading to the creation of "something that encompassed all of those elements". She was also influenced by "how Bong Joon Ho juggles so many different tones in his films to where they feel very animated". Appelhans came on board later on after Kang told him her initial ideas for the film; he planned to take a long break after having directed '' Wish Dragon'' (2021). He stated that he "always wanted to do a film about the power of music – to unite, bring joy, build community."

Casting

Ji-young Yoo was revealed to star in the film in April 2025. The rest of the cast was announced later that month.

Animation

The film was animated by Sony Pictures Imageworks with Josh Beveridge as the head of character animation. Appelhans highlighted inspiration was drawn from "music videos, editorial photography, K-dramas, concert lighting, a touch of anime". Kang explained that after watching Sony's ''Spider-Verse'' films, which features a "hybrid 2D-3D style", they decided to pull "away from every 2D element in our movie" and instead "took a lot of inspiration from faces and the look and feel of anime" with the aim of doing "a CG version of it". Beveridge similarly noted the inspiration of "2D aesthetics but with three-dimensional language" and that they wanted the film to have a "very bold graphic look". Beveridge also highlighted shifting the characters' faces to reflect the film's tone such "high-glamour moments" where "they need to feel like pop stars in an animated world", "animated aggro" which has "faces with a lot more line work, a lot more angularity", and "hyper-ridiculous" moments they referred to as " Chibi, or demi-Chibi" which is "super-cute and exaggerated features".

Music

The film's original songs were written by Danny Chung, IDO, Vince, KUSH, EJAE, Jenna Andrews, Stephen Kirk, Lindgren, Mark Sonnenblick and Daniel Rojas; and produced by Teddy Park, 24, IDO, DOMINSUK, Andrews, Kirk, Lindgren and Ian Eisendrath. Marcelo Zarvos composed the score. The soundtrack will also feature the voices of Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami, Andrew Choi, Kevin Woo, samUIL Lee, Neckwav and Lea Salonga. The soundtrack's lead single "Takedown" was released in June 20, 2025, performed by Jeongyeon, Jihyo and Chaeyoung of Twice.

Release

When the film was first announced in March 2021, a release timetable was not set. Later on that same month, the film was listed to have a release type of theatrical. In April 2022, it was reported that Netflix registered a filing for the film. The film was confirmed to be coming to the streamer in February 2023, in a ''Business Insider'' interview with Sony Pictures CEO Tom Rothman. In June 2024, the film was announced to be released in 2025. In April 2025, it was revealed by an animator that the film would be released in June, while later that month, it was announced for a release date of June 20, 2025.

Reception

Brandon Yu, for ''The New York Times'', stated ''KPop Demon Hunters'' "is an original universe that is charming, funny and artfully punchy", commenting that it "is funniest when it pokes at pop culture that is highly manufactured, from K-pop to K-dramas to mass-produced singing competitions". Yu noted that it "shares a kind of lineage" with Sony Pictures Animation's "recent hit ''Spider-Verse'' franchise" and while it shares a "similar visual style", what the film "borrows mostly is a more holistic and technical sense of the cinematic" – "the action sequences are fluid and immersive, the art is frequently striking and the music (catchy, if formulaic earworms) is a properly wielded and dynamic storytelling tool". Isaiah Colbert of ''Io9'' similarly commented that "the animation team at Sony Pictures Animation didn't skimp, delivering yet another visual treat with decadent and vibrant animation" after their success with ''Spider-Verse''; he highlighted the "bold and expressive" character designs which allows Huntrix to shift from idol protagonists to "the kind of approachable girls with gremlin-like tendencies". Toussaint Egan of ''IGN'' opined that the film "knows how to tackle serious subject matter without taking itself too seriously which, along with its stunning production value and exciting action sequences, makes for a wholly entertaining experience". Jeff Ewing, for ''Collider'', stated that the film lands "a beautifully bonkers fantasy premise" and has "interesting lore around demons, music, and hunters, which is novel yet feels rich".

On the voice cast, Ewing commented that the Huntrix "performers have clearly distinct personalities and a strong collective dynamic", noting that "May Hong and Ji-young Yoo land Mira and Zoey" respectively and "Arden Cho gives a complex and emotional vocal performance as lead Rum"; additionally, "Ahn Hyo-seop is great as the clever, charismatic demon/boy band lead Jinu". Colbert also praised "the phenomenal voice work of its main cast" along with film's authentic "musicality" which "ensures that the songs are so catchy that even the most reluctant K-pop critic would find themselves bobbing their head and humming along to the chorus". He also commented that the film "explores music as both a haven and a form of emotional expression", which is similar to both "''Turning Red'' and, surprisingly, ''Sinners''", but noted it stands out by embracing "the magical girl anime aesthetic". Egan highlighted that "the fight sequences, with their flashy choreography and anime-inflected verve, lean heavily on musical numbers featuring originals songs penned by a who's who list of popular Western artists and Kpop mainstays" and that it is a "visually sumptuous action fantasy with the kind of heartfelt chest belters that are sure to make ardent converts of fans of animated musicals". Colbert's main criticism was an "overly convenient" resolution as the ending was "so neatly tied up that it loses some of the depth that its setup promised". Ewing felt the film could have spent more time building "up the other characters' emotional lives" and highlighted that the audience is "a bit shortchanged on Rumi's actually-very-important background".

References

External links

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{{Netflix original animated series and films

2025 American animated films
2020s English-language films
American computer-animated films
Demons in film
Films scored by Marcelo Zarvos
K-pop films
Sony Pictures Animation films