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K-Pop Demon Hunters en route to smash another Netflix record

K-Pop Demon Hunters on Netflix is riding the wave of global fandom.
posted by Shreya Ghosh
Thursday 8/7/2025 at 1:17PM EDT
  • K-Pop Demon Hunters (Image via X/@netflix)
    K-Pop Demon Hunters (Image via X/@netflix)

    K‑Pop Demon Hunters, a much-awaited animated musical, premiered on Netflix on June 20, 2025. According to a report by the Daily Telegraph, the visually striking film follows Huntr/x, a K‑pop girl group who secretly fight demons with their music‑powered abilities.

    The storyline revolves around the fan-favorite girl gang competing against a rival demon boy band, Juni-led Saja Boys. The hit release climbed to #4 on Netflix's all‑time most-watched English‑language movies.

    According to Games Radar, it has already amassed over 158.8 million views in just 45 days, based on updates from August 4, 2025. 

    The film quickly outperformed all prior Netflix animated releases and continues to ascend in global rankings, expected to move even higher in the coming weeks, with five weeks left in its initial 91-day counting window. 

    K-Pop Demon Hunters is on its way to surpassing more records

    It has successfully stormed its way into Netflix history, now ranking as the platform’s fourth-most-watched film ever, placing it just behind Red Notice at 230.9 million views and Carry-On at 172.1 million views, and Don’t Look Up at 171.4 million views, according to a Dexerto report. At this pace, it is not far-fetched to think it could soon dethrone the current chart-topper led by Ryan Reynolds and Dwayne Johnson.

    As the outlet reported, here's the top 10 list from the last week, between July 28 and August 3.

    1. Red Notice: 230 million views
    2. Carry-On: 172 million views
    3. Don’t Look Up: 171 million views
    4. K-Pop Demon Hunters: 159 million views
    5. The Adam Project: 158 million views
    6. Bird Box: 157 million views
    7. Back in Action: 147 million views
    8. Leave the World Behind: 143 million views
    9. The Gray Man: 139 million views
    10. Damsel: 138 million views

    The Daily Telegraph cited an interview with co-directors Chris Appelhans and Maggie Kang where they expressed wishes to work on a one-of-a-kind female superhero. Reflecting on their ideas and dreams, Maggie said,

    "We’ve both wanted to see more relatable female characters, ones that are messy, act silly, make stupid faces, and we thought it would be especially refreshing to see that in the superhero space. It felt like a new take on the female superhero."

    During one of Netflix's Q2 earnings calls, co-CEO Ted Sarandos emphasized the influence of K-Pop Demon Hunters. He stated that the impressive music will "drive fandom for these fictional K-pop bands that we have."

    With a gripping story, global star power, and a soundtrack that’s become a cultural moment of its own, K-Pop Demon Hunters is proving to be far more than just a box office success. The animated film's music is now breaking records alongside its streaming numbers. Its extraordinary soundtrack has officially become the highest-charting soundtrack of 2025, peaking at No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, according to a Music Business Worldwide report. 

    Released by Visva/Republic Records, seven songs from the album have landed on the Billboard Hot 100, showcasing the film’s widespread musical appeal. Leading the charge is Golden, a breakout track that has dominated charts. The song soared to No. 1 on the Billboard Global Charts and peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking an impressive feat for a soundtrack single.

    The album is powered by an all-star lineup of songwriters and producers. Contributions come from celebrated names like Danny Chung, Ido, Daniel Rojas, Jenna Andrews, Kush, Ejae, Lindgren, Mark Sonnenblick, Stephen Kirk, and Vince.

    On the production side, the project brought together talented artists such as 24, Dominsuk, Ian Eisendrath, Ido, Lindgren, and Teddy Park, with Jenna and Stephen also playing dual roles as both writers and producers.

    Beyond its commercial success, the soundtrack has already sparked a social media frenzy, with videos and reactions going viral across social media platforms. In this year filled with notable music releases, K-Pop Demon Hunters has managed to carve out a space that blends cinematic spectacle with pop chart dominance.

    It appears this film is far from finished dominating screens. As Games Radar confirmed, Netflix plans to explore a major expansion of the franchise. This includes two additional animated releases and a potential live-action remake, along with a stage musical.

    The star-studded cast features Arden Cho, May Hong, Ji-young Yoo, Ahn Hyo-seop, Ken Jeong, and Lee Byung-hun, best known to Netflix viewers as the mysterious Front Man in Squid Game. With multiple spin-offs, K-Pop Demon Hunters could soon become Netflix's most expansive franchise yet, if plans proceed.

    Now streaming on Netflix, K-Pop Demon Hunters has become a cultural phenomenon. It perfectly fuses the energy of Korean pop with the visual insights of American animation in a way that captivates audiences around the world.

    TOPICS: K-Pop Demon Hunters, Netflix