'KPop Demon Hunters 2' Announcement: Sony, Netflix Might Have Some Good News in the Coming Days

Just like that, Netflix found a global hit in the animated film KPop Demon Hunters. More recently, it also officially became the streamer's biggest success yet, having been named the most popular Netflix film ever.

At the same time, the K-Pop-inspired film also ruled the box office for a time, following the limited run of KPop Demon Hunters Sing-Along version in theatres across the UK, US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. And with the film's gigantic success, there are reports that Netflix might just greenlight a sequel.

Netflix Found Its Biggest K-Pop Hit Through Sony

With KPop Demon Hunters becoming Netflix's biggest film ever, there's more conversation around the project as an IP. In the beginning, however, it was merely a safety net for Sony, a profit guarantee amid sluggish theatre sales during the pandemic period.

At that time, Sony Pictures Animation had already spent $100 million on KPop Demon Hunters, but it wasn't keen to give a film a theatrical release. Instead, the studio struck a 'direct-to-platform' deal with Netflix, according to Puck. In the said deal, Netflix would pay Sony the $100 million (£74.3 million) it already spent on the project plus a cap of $20 million (£14.8 million) in profit, regardless of how well the film performs. As for Netflix, it gets the rights to the property, and the streamer doesn't have to share profits with Sony beyond the $20 million they've agreed upon.

Will There Be A 'KPop Demon Hunters' 2?

At the moment, Sony and Netflix are reportedly having discussions about the future of KPop Demon Hunters. Essentially, the sequel would only happen if both parties agree since Sony Animation is behind the production.

And while everyone's waiting on Sony and Netflix's final decision, it looks like KPop Demon Hunters directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans are on board for a part two. 'We've set up so much for potential backstory,' Kang teased during an interview with Variety. 'Obviously, there's a lot of questions that are left unanswered and areas that are not explored, and we had to do that because there's only so much movie you could tell in 85 minutes.'

Meanwhile, even if KPop Demon Hunters 2 gets the green light, it's unclear how soon the streamer will release the sequel. In fact, Netflix Chairman Dan Lin isn't planning to rush anything amid all the buzz. (It's also worth noting that Kang spent seven years on the project before Netflix released it.)

'KPDH's success comes from its original, fresh story, so if we do embark on a sequel, we would want to take our time to make sure that any future stories we tell with our favorite demon hunters retains the flair and uniqueness of the first film,' he told The Hollywood Reporter. Lin also believes that the KPop Demon Hunters universe will be around for a while, remarking that 'it's going to be part of our lives for a bit.'

And while Disney has kicked off the trend of making live-action versions of its animated classics, Netflix is reportedly not keen on following suit. At least, not at this time.