‘KPop Demon Hunters 2’ Aiming for 2029 Release
Eagerly anticipated sequel to smash Netflix animated musical reportedly in works following deal with the original's directors and Sony Corp.
HUNTR/X
First the good news: You have not seen the last of Rumi, Mira, Zoey and the Saja Boys. Then the not-so-good news: but you’ll have to wait four years.
According to a brief mention at the end of a story about how KPop Demon Hunters reportedly fumbled toy merchandising for the smash Netflix animated musical in Bloomberg, the business site reported that Netflix and Sony have finalized a deal for sequel. But, because animated films can take a long time to complete, the movie isn’t expected to release until 2029. According to Variety, Netflix and Sony declined to comment on the report.
“We’ve set up so much for potential backstory,” co-director Maggie Kang told Variety in July about the plans for another go-round from her and directing partner Chris Appelhans. “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.”
The fantasy adventure about a fictional K-pop girl group who help save the world from a demon attack thanks to their music has become one of Netflix’s most popular movies of all time, with over 325 million views to date, breaking a slew of streaming records while also spinning off a number of chart hits. The biggest, “Golden,” from fictional band HUNTR/X, leads the Billboard Global 200 and the Billboard Global Exclu. U.S. charts for a 14th week each.
In addition, last month the soundtrack to the film hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart for the first time on the chart dated Sept. 20, after seven nonconsecutive weeks in the No. 2 position. That ascent to the top was preceded by four top 10-charting hits from the soundtrack on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart — the most from a soundtrack in nearly 30 years — including “Golden,” the Saja Boys’ “Your Idols” and “Soda Pop” as well as HUNTR/X’s “How It’s Done.”
The movie has become such a phenomenon that Netflix released a sing-along version in theaters in August and October, grossing $18 million over two days in the summer and another $5-$6 million in the fall.
