Kpop Demon Hunters has been one of the biggest success stories of 2025. This passion project from directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans has been crushing the Netflix charts, becoming their most-watched animated film and is on track to be the most-watched film on the platform (I’ve contributed to this success by watching the film more times than I care to admit). We’ve been able to see the effects this is having on Netflix in real time as well, as new merch items are being put up on the Netflix shop nearly every day; there’s clearly a demand for more Kpop Demon Hunters. We’ve all been waiting with baited breath to see if Netflix will greenlight a sequel, prequel, or anything to do with Kpop Demon Hunters, and now we have our answer, but at what cost?
Initially reported by The Wrap, Netflix has been extremely happy with the success of the film, and talks are already in motion to turn it into the streaming service’s Frozen (major franchise). At the second-quarter earnings call in July, the co-CEO of Netflix, Ted Sarandos, talked about their future plans for Kpop Demon Hunters as a franchise. The most exciting parts he mentioned (for me anyway) were the talks of two sequels, creating a Kpop Demon Hunters trilogy! This is the news I was waiting eagerly for, because Netflix does have a habit of cancelling promising new franchises (looking at you, Ultraman: Rising), so to learn that they’re actively looking at making a trilogy is a very good thing.
Aside from the sequels, Netflix is also looking at the possibilities of an animated series and short films to round out the stories they want to tell in this universe. I would adore a prequel series centred around the Sunlight Sisters (Rumi’s mum’s group), and a short film to bridge the gaps between films would definitely help the long waits feel a little shorter. They are also reportedly considering making a stage musical adaptation of the film, which seems like a logical idea given the success of the soundtrack. And if the announcements stopped there, I would be one happy lad, but turns out, we dealing with some monkey paw shit.
The last project that is reportedly being considered for Kpop Demon Hunters is a live-action remake, which I vehemently do not want. I’m against live-action remakes at the best of times, as I believe they are creatively bankrupt, devoid of passion, and just a money-grabbing move by studios. I’ve refused to watch any of the recent remakes, such as Lilo and Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon, and if they made a live-action version of Kpop Demon Hunters, I would abstain from watching as well. But this goes beyond my disgust with these remakes, because why would you make this film live-action to begin with?First, it hasn’t been out for even two months, and you’re already talking about remaking it? That just screams “we think animation isn’t as important”, even though it’ll most likely be your most viewed film. And secondly, this magic of Kpop Demon Hunters would be near impossible to recreate in live-action because the film has so much style thanks to the animation. There are so many scenes, fights, gags, and vibes that would not translate well to live-action, and it would frankly be insulting to watch them try. And that’s not even mentioning how they would not be able to match the performances of the animated cast, especially EJAE’s voice (singing voice of Rumi). God, why do these companies always wanna take amazing things and make them slop!
UPDATE: So, it recently came out that Netflix isn’t considering a live-action remake (anymore), which is the best news ever! But my point still stands that live-action remakes suck, and a Kpop Demon Hunters one would be a horrible idea.
Sorry for that rant, I think it’s out of my system. Disregarding the stupidity of a live-action remake, I am still very much excited for the future of Kpop Demon Hunters as a franchise. The possibilities of an animated trilogy, series, and short films have me hopeful about what is to come. Also, I totally called it with which projects could be made in a previous article, which you can check out here.
What do you think of this Kpop Demon Hunters news? Are you excited? Do you also detest live-action remakes? Let us know in the comments where we can talk about all things Kpop Demon Hunters.
