Huntrix isn't done fighting demons, or breaking Netflix records. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the streaming service has locked in original directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans for a sequel to KPop Demon Hunters, striking a multiyear writing and directing deal with the pair ahead of what could be a big Oscars night for the first film. Sony Pictures Animation will again produce, though there's no release date. A previously floated 2029 target is now seen as unrealistic, with the filmmakers only just starting work and planning to focus on the project after awards season.
People notes that whispers of a sequel first emerged in November, when Bloomberg reported that Netflix and Sony had come to an agreement for one. The first movie, centered on K-pop group Huntrix and the demon-thwarting power of their music, became Netflix's most-watched film ever and a global fandom magnet, spawning hit songs and picking up front-runner status for best animated feature and best original song ("Golden") at this year's Oscars, per THR. The movie's huge streaming victory has fueled second-guessing in Hollywood over whether it should have gone to theaters, but Sony execs argue the film needed time to build an audience—time it likely wouldn't have had on the big screen.
Kang says she's proud that viewers "[want] more from this Korean story," adding, "This is only the beginning." Appelhans, meanwhile, calls the returning characters "like family" and promises to keep pushing how music, animation, and storylines intersect. "With KPop Demon Hunters, Maggie and Chris didn't just reach audiences, they ignited a global fandom that crossed languages, generations, and genre," says Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria in a release.
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