KPop Demon Hunters Sequel: Everything We Know So Far

After becoming the most-watched Netflix original movie of all time, it's no surprise that audiences are clamoring for more "KPop Demon Hunters." The movie's popularity has transcended the small screen, with real world music hits that have shattered industry records. As of this writing, Huntr/x's signature song, "Golden," has been on the Billboard Hot 100 for over three months, topping the chart for nearly half that time. The single is even certified Platinum by the RIAA. It's clear that audiences simply can't get enough Huntr/x.

Although Sony initially had their reservations with the project (more details on that below), the film's potential should have been obvious from the start. K-pop is an internationally popular music genre that has been gaining traction in the U.S. over this decade. On top of that, the film's bright, colorful fantasy world and bad guy-slaying heroines sport stylized animation similar to Sony's beloved "Spider Man: Into the Spider-Verse." It stands to reason that "KPop Demon Hunters," with its three young female leads, would resonate hugely with children, young women, and particularly tween/teen girls, an oft neglected demographic in media.

With Oscars buzz abound surrounding the film and its soundtrack, Netflix are in the early stages of developing a sequel. There are a few kinks to work out, but the prospect of continuing the film into an extended franchise is nonetheless exciting. Here's everything we know so far.

As indicated by its opening credits, "KPop Demon Hunters" was created by Sony Animation Studios. However, as an original IP with a lesser-known director in Maggie Kang at the helm, Sony was leery of the film's success. As a result, the film was sold to Netflix in 2021, making it a Netflix Original in the process. The sale entailed Netflix covering the film's budget, while paying Sony an additional $25 million as profit on the deal. Sony receives a cut of sales and publishing fees from the music, but Netflix has exclusive merchandising rights.

Given that Netflix cancels shows as quickly as they release them, they likely didn't foresee the film becoming an overnight hit. It was likely just another middling animated feature to them. Fast forward to post June 2025, and the streamer now finds itself in the awkward position of relying on Sony to produce the second film. On the other side of the coin, Sony is re-negotiating a deal with Netflix that gets them a bigger piece of the pie. The talks are supposedly going well thus far, but no concrete deal has been reached yet. While co-directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans are on board for the sequel, their deals can't be finalized until Netflix and Sony reach an agreement.

The protagonist of "KPop Demon Hunters" was undoubtedly Huntr/x's lead singer Rumi (Arden Cho), as the film centers on her struggle to overcome her shame as a half-demon. While this singular thematic through-line worked well for the film, it did leave the other two Huntr/x members, Mira (May Hong) and Zoey (Ji-young Yoo) feeling underdeveloped. Outside of brief character summaries delivered through standard dialogue and brief flashbacks, we don't learn much more about Zoey or Mira's pasts. Near the climax of the movie, Rumi yells at Mira, "Not everything is about your insecurities, Mira!" –- yet those suggested insecurities weren't substantively shown onscreen. Meanwhile, Zoey is said to be from Burbank, CA, but we know nothing of her journey to South Korea to make it as an idol.

Director Maggie Kang is aware of these shortcomings, and hopes to address them in the sequel. Speaking to Variety, she shared, "We have backstories for Zoey and Mira -– ones that we actually put in the movie, but it just kind of rejected it. It just wasn't the movie for those stories." Perhaps the next movie (or two) could focus on another member of the group and create a story around them similarly as the first did with Rumi. Zoey and Mira fit basic archetypes that can connect to various personalities; fleshing them out fully would only fortify the Huntr/x brand for audiences — and Netflix.

As unique as "Demon Hunters" is in the film landscape, it still contained the classic enemies-to-lovers trope with Rumi and lead Saja Boy (and demon), Jinu (Ahn Hyo-seop). The plot was as much his as it was Rumi's, with Jinu literally sacrificing his soul to save Rumi in the end. That kind of redemption and selflessness leaves viewers wanting more — and it also doesn't hurt that he's is an animated hunk.

The speaking voice of Rumi, Arden Cho, has expressed hopes for Jinu to return in the sequel. "I would love to see if we can rescue Jinu! It is a magical world, right? I feel like the options are endless, and our incredible writers and directors left it a bit open. Anything is possible," she told Variety. Indeed, Jinu's pet was seen watching over Huntr/x right before the credits rolled, possibly indicating that some part of Jinu's soul lived on. 

Even still, it would admittedly take a bit of creativity to retcon his death. The best bet would be to further develop the supernatural lore of the film, possibly with the creation of a new Honmoon after the climactic final musical number. Maybe Jinu could reapper via this new Honmoon. Since romance was an endearing part of the first movie, it would benefit the script to bring this element back in some way, even if it means introducing a new love interest.