It’s been on the cards, but KPop Demon Hunters 2 will be headed to the big screen. Following news of a planned theatrical release for the sequel, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed the move, which “hasn’t been officially announced”.
The news surfaced as a passing mention in a feature detailing the events behind the departure of Netflix’s former film chief, Dan Lin, who was said to be a strong proponent of theatrical experiences, marking a departure from Co-CEO Ted Sarandos’ streaming-based business model. During Lin’s tenure, he secured a full theatrical rollout for the upcoming second outing — a decision first made by Sarandos — which is slated to debut in 2029.
Given the three-year gap (the original was approximately seven to nine years in the making), not much else is known about the project, but original directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans are returning to helm. As previously reported, it will be part of a multi-year writing and directing pact between the duo and Netflix for the IP, with Sony Animation also back on board.
“We’ve set up so much for potential backstory,” revealed Kang to Variety in an earlier interview. “Obviously, there’s a lot of questions that are left unanswered and areas that are not explored. We had to do that because there’s only so much movie you could tell in 85 minutes.”
In any case, KPop Demon Hunters 2 will have very big shoes to fill. The musical became the streamer’s most-watched title of all time, outpacing both live-action films and TV series, and the first film soundtrack to have four songs in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 at once, with “Golden” winning Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song at the Oscars and Golden Globes.
Centred on a fictional K-pop girl group, it 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
