Maggie Kang, the creator and co-director of Netflix’s hit KPop Demon Hunters, revealed how she came up with the idea for the film at this year’s Busan International Film Festival. She revealed the one key ingredient that made the film destined to become a hit.
Per Deadline, Kang opened up about the core concept for the film, and how it eventually led her to infuse K-Pop into the mix. “So the idea of demons naturally led to demon hunters, a group of really incredible women who fight demons, but the idea needed something else, so I started to think about other Korean things, and K-pop was added in, and that really changed everything,” she said. “The movie instantly became larger in scale, it became a musical, and just more of a spectacle.”
The infectious atmosphere at K-Pop concerts was another element of inspiration “You know that when you go to a Kpop concert and everybody’s singing along, there’s just this really great energy that is able to cross cultural barriers,” Kang remarked. “So as a huge Kpop fan, I wanted to celebrate that feeling in the film. And I really think that Kpop became this huge selling point for the movie.”
Rumi, Mira and Zoey talk about “Golden” on a talkshow in KPop Demon Hunters.Credit:Â Image via Netflix
Kang also spoke about the influence of Korean shamans (“mudang”) had on the film, using music to ward off evil for centuries. With the movie being set in modern-day Seoul, it felt like a natural progression for the demon hunters to be K-Pop stars. She also discussed pride in making the main characters Korean women, something that she had yet to see in feature animation. “And as if that wasn’t groundbreaking enough, I saw an opportunity with our female characters to show a different kind of female superhero that I felt like I wasn’t seeing – messy and silly and funny, women who eat a lot and are just real and have struggles and flaws,” she shared.
The camaraderie that the KPop Demon Hunters characters share proved to be a crucial part that made their story so beloved by fans around the world. “But through friendship and understanding and defeating their inner demons – and the actual demons – and also inspiring others in the process, they are able to come out on top and somehow more complete,” Kang shared.
KPop Demon Hunters Has Become Netflix’s Most Watched Movie
KPop Demon Hunters was released quietly on Netflix on June 20, 2025, but quickly took over the world, going on to become Netflix’s Most Watched Movie ever. It racked up over 236 million views, surpassing the Hollywood blockbuster Red Notice with Gal Gadot, Ryan Reynolds and Dwayne Johnson. It also scored a remarkably successful Sing Along theatrical release, which grossed over $18 million over a two-day run.
Following the success of the film on Netflix, it is already being reported that the streaming giant is pursuing plans to expand the film into a franchise. A short film is reportedly already in development, and Sony Pictures and Netflix are said to be in talks to make an animated sequel. No official announcements have been made at this time.
KPop Demon Hunters is now streaming on Netflix.
Release Date
June 20, 2025
Runtime
96 minutes
Director
Chris Appelhans, Maggie Kang
Writers
Hannah McMechan, Chris Appelhans, Maggie Kang, Danya Jimenez
Producers
Aron Warner
