After showing how it’s done, done, done, the HUNTRI/X trio is due for a comeback on the silver screen. Netflix is planning a “big, broad, global” theatrical release for the sequel to last year’s pop culture juggernaut KPop Demon Hunters, which would mark a shift in its distribution strategy.
Speaking at Bloomberg’s Screentime Wednesday night, co-CEO Ted Sarandos detailed the approach for its future slate, including a streaming-first focus on arthouse titles. “On one end of the spectrum is La Bola Negra, Train Dreams last year that could have played in the theatres for six months and it wouldn’t have impacted; it would have done net positive on Netflix,” he said.
“Those kinds of art house films play like that. And then the other end is the kind of four-quad family rewatch movie, so we said let’s take those two and treat them differently. We’re going to do a big wide release for Narnia next year, and then we’ll do a big wide release for Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory at the end of the year. We think they’ll do great, and when the KPop Demon Hunters sequel comes, you can expect a very broad theatrical release.”
The move is hardly surprising — not only did the animated musical break a slew of records, such as becoming the most-watched original title in Netflix history and spending 63 consecutive weeks in the Global Top 10, but a separate singalong version also grossed US$19 million at the box office in just two days. It won Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song (“Golden”) at the Oscars and Golden Globes, becoming the first film soundtrack to have four songs in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 at once.
Following its phenomenal success, Netflix and Sony Animation announced a sequel earlier this year, with directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans returning to helm. Story details remain under wraps, but it’s safe to assume that the original singers and voice cast for the main trio will reprise their roles. The release is currently slated for 2029.
Centred on a fictional K-pop girl group, KPop Demon Hunters follows 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. Arden Cho (Teen Wolf), May Hong (High Maintenance), and Ji-young Yoo (Moxie) portray Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, respectively, while EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami are their singing voices.
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.
Joey Leong
