Major foreign media outlets such as Bloomberg and Variety reported on the 5th (local time) that Netflix and Sony Pictures have signed a production deal for a sequel to the animated film "K-Pop Demon Hunters." The two companies are said to have begun developing the follow-up, aiming for a 2029 release.
According to these reports, "Due to the nature of producing full-length animated films, a considerable amount of time is required, so there will likely be a gap of about four years between the original and the sequel," adding, "The release date may be adjusted depending on the production schedule."
"K-Pop Demon Hunters," which was released in June, is an animated film that tells the story of the K-pop girl group Huntrix-Lumi, Mira, and Joy-who save the world by defeating evil spirits through their songs.
Immediately after its release, the film surpassed 300 million cumulative views, becoming the most-watched movie in Netflix history. It continued to enjoy long-term box office success by ranking in the global "Top 10" movies.
The K-pop tracks performed by the idol group in the film were also hugely popular. "Golden" topped both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Official Singles Chart, while other tracks such as "Your Idol" and "Soda Pop" dominated streaming charts worldwide. Some songs were even mentioned as potential Grammy nominees, setting new records for the original soundtrack (OST).
Maggie Kang, a Korean-Canadian American director, and Chris Appelhans, who directed the film, mentioned in an interview with the BBC in the UK that "We believe we can tell more stories with these characters," hinting at the possibility of a sequel. They also stated, "There are aspects of the world and the origins of the characters that we were not able to fully explore in the first film."
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