SEOUL – As the Huntrix sing in the song Golden, it is their moment and they are only “going up, up, up”.
The fictional girl group from Netflix’s record-shattering animation KPop Demon Hunters will get more screen time, according to US entertainment site The Wrap.
Netflix is reportedly planning to turn KPop Demon Hunters into a film trilogy, with sequels on the way.
The Wrap also said the streaming platform plans to expand the universe further, turning it into a franchise that includes a stage musical and a live-action remake. A short film to “bridge content” between the movies is also in the pipeline.
While Netflix has yet to make any official announcements, it will be a missed opportunity if it does not capitalise on the animation’s massive success.
The animated film about Huntrix – comprising Rumi, Zooey and Mira (voiced by actresses Arden Cho, Yoo Ji-young and May Hong respectively) – who protect the world against Saja Boys, demons disguised as K-pop idols, has taken down all competition to become Netflix’s most-watched original animated film.
It reached its peak viewership six weeks after its launch on June 20, a feat that has never happened before. The movie also received a whopping 26.3 million views for the week of July 21 to 27.
The film’s soundtrack, produced by K-pop label Black Label and featuring lyricists behind BTS hits, also saw a meteoric rise. The album amassed more than 41 million monthly listeners on Spotify, with all eight tracks breaking into Billboard’s Hot 100 charts and Golden at No. 2.
On Aug 1, Golden also
topped the UK Official Singles Chart, marking the first K-pop song to reach No. 1 in over a decade. Golden reached the peak in its sixth week on the chart, rising three spots from the previous week.
The UK Official Charts Company highlighted that this is the first K-pop No. 1 on the British chart since Psy’s record-breaking Gangnam Style in 2012.
KPop Demon Hunters’ co-directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans told US entertainment portal The Ankler on July 30 that “it would be a missed opportunity not to pursue expanding the film”.
“Most movies end with a possibility because you always want to keep that door open. There are a lot of backstories that we haven’t fleshed out,” Kang told The Ankler.
Netflix hopes the movie will score gold at the 2026 Oscars. The Ankler reported that the film had a one-week, three-theatre run in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco, qualifying it for an Oscar nomination, with Golden having a chance to be considered in the Best Original Song category.
Netflix co-chief executive Ted Sarandos hailed the film as a “phenomenal success” at a recent second-quarter earnings call.
He said: “People are in love with this film and in love with the music from this film, and that will keep it going for a long time. Now the next beat is, where does it go from here?”