Netflix’s animated feature KPop Demon Hunters has quickly become a global sensation and is now heading to theaters with a sing-along version, signaling the streamer’s growing ambitions in family entertainment.
Since debuting in mid-June, the film about a K-pop girl group who battle demons has stayed in the top two of Netflix’s global movie rankings for five consecutive weeks, including multiple stints at number one. Viewership has climbed instead of tapering off, hitting a peak of 25.8 million views in its fifth week — a first for a Netflix original film.
The success has spilled over into the music charts. “Golden,” one of the movie’s featured songs, topped the Billboard Global 200 before being overtaken by another K-pop track. Analysts say this crossover between music and animation underscores why KPop Demon Hunters could be a blueprint for Netflix as it looks to compete with Disney in the family animation market.
Produced by Sony Animation and distributed as a Netflix original, the movie is on pace to become the platform’s biggest animated release yet. Its theatrical sing-along version, featuring subtitled lyrics for audience participation, is designed to extend its reach and build a franchise model similar to Disney’s long tradition of family-friendly musicals.
Industry experts note that family animation remains one of the most lucrative genres at the box office, with PG-rated films consistently outperforming PG-13 titles. By tapping into the global popularity of K-pop, Netflix is attempting to carve out its own space in a market long dominated by Disney and Universal’s Illumination studios.
Source: Business Insider