KPop Demon Huntersjust got a massive reported sequel update. The animated movie is one of Netflix’s most successful films this year, consistently making the Top 10 list. It has achieved international acclaim, in part because of its incredible voice cast, which includesSquid Game’s Lee Byung-hun, among others.
Since the film’s impressive success, there have been many discussions about it becoming a franchise. While these rumors have mostly stemmed from fans who are obsessed with the movie’s melodies and characters,star Arden Cho has already teased a potential sequel.Back in June,Cho noted thatKPop Demon Huntersis “a big world"that could warrant continued exploration.
PerTheWrap,KPop Demon Huntersreportedly will be continuing.Netflix is now planning not one, but twoKPop Demon Hunterssequels,making it into a trilogy. The streamer is also reportedly planning a live-action iteration, and even potentially a TV series and stage musical. The source says that Netflix is referring to the project as its ownFrozenor Disney Princess franchise.
What This Means For KPop Demon Hunters
Netflix Is Truly Mimicking Disney
These extensive plans are furtherproof of just how much of a sensationKPop Demon Huntershas been.The movie has an impressive 97% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes. This includes a 9 out of 10-starreview fromScreenRant’s Ben Gibbons, who noted that the animated film “juggles a lot of ideas with incredible results.”
While the source did not provide a direct quote as to Netflix’s comparisons between Disney and the streamer, their plans certainly reveal a profound level of following in Disney’s footsteps. Disney has spent the last decade leaning into theirlive-action adaptations of animated movies, even those with active sequels in development.
As the source notes,theKPop Demon Huntersplan is particularly similar to that ofFrozen.That franchise has had two hugely successful animated films and has already been adapted into a stage musical.Frozen IIIis also in development, so withKPop Demon Hunterstrying to become a trilogy, it is truly following Anna and Elsa’s form.
Our Take On The KPop Demon Hunters Sequel
Will The Films Get Any Theatrical Release?
It will be slightly more difficult to measure the success of Netflix’sKPop Demon Huntersstrategythan it is for the Disney movies. Disney’s live-action adaptations and animated sequels typically release in theaters. As such, their strength can be judged by their box office performance.
Now, Netflix could, of course, release theKPop Demon Hunters' sequels for a limited time in theaters, as they have done with past projects likeGlass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. If they stay with the streaming-first model, however, theKPop Demon Huntersfranchise will be judged on its acclaim and the (hopefully ongoing) strength of its streaming numbers.
