K-Pop Demon Hunters Sequel Announced: What This Means for Global K-Content Fans

Daniel Kim 2026.03.13 Views

Photo=Netflix, Showbox

[Sports Today reporter Kim Tae-hyung] ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ and ‘The Man Who Lives with the King’ come from different genres, but both drew on distinctly Korean elements — and both are generating strong reactions at home and abroad.

First up: last year’s Netflix animated hit ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ (hereafter ‘KPDH’) is returning with a sequel.

On the 12th (local time), Reuters and other outlets reported that Netflix has signed a multi-year exclusive animation writing and directing partnership with KPDH co-directors Maggie Khang, a Korean-Canadian, and Chris Appelhans to develop a follow-up. Netflix has not announced a release date; the project is in early production.

Khang said she is proud, as a Korean filmmaker, that audiences want to see more Korean stories and characters, adding that there is still much in the world they created that they want to share.

Appelhans echoed that sentiment: HUNTRIX feels like family to us, and their world has become our second home. We’re excited to write their next chapter, watch them grow, and expand how music, animation and story come together.

KPDH follows K-pop girl group HUNTRIX as they fight evil spirits and protect the world and their fans through music. Their songs produce a golden “honmun” — a supernatural seal — while the rival Saja Boys, clad in grim-reaper attire, challenge them for chart supremacy.

Photo=Netflix

Since its June release last year, the film has surpassed 500 million cumulative global views, becoming Netflix’s most-watched title in the platform’s history, overtaking ‘Squid Game.’ The soundtrack single “Golden” spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and topped the U.K. charts for four consecutive weeks.

KPDH has also collected major international honors. The film won Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song at the 31st Critics’ Choice Awards, and Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 68th Grammy Awards. It also received two nominations — Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song — at the 98th Academy Awards.

Photo=Stills from ‘The Man Who Lives with the King’

While the KPDH sequel announcement has stirred global attention, Jang Hang-jun’s historical drama ‘The Man Who Lives with the King’ (hereafter ‘The Man’) — which has surpassed 12 million admissions domestically — is also drawing notable interest overseas.

Its North American run has been particularly striking. After opening in the U.S. on the 13th of last month (local time), ‘The Man’ has played in more than 50 cities across the United States and Canada.

In its second week in North America, ‘The Man’ already outpaced the regional box office run of ‘The Outlaws 4.’ As of the 9th, it had grossed $1.79 million, exceeding the North American receipts of films such as ‘Seoul Spring’ and ‘Extreme Job.’

The film’s North American footprint is widening. This week it screens on 125 theaters and will reach roughly 150 venues — an unusually broad release for a Korean film in the region.

North American distributor JBG Pictures USA said they are expanding play locations weekly, focusing on major Korean-American communities to secure more theaters and give more audiences a chance to see the film. The reception underscores how ‘The Man’ is resonating beyond Korea.

‘The Man’ centers on a village chief who volunteers for exile at Cheongryeongpo to revive his town and a young deposed king who shares that exile. On its 31st day in release, the film became the 34th title in Korean cinema history to reach 10 million admissions; by its 36th day it surpassed 12 million and remained No. 1 at the box office into its fifth week.

The film marked the first 10-million-admission Korean movie in two years since ‘The Outlaws 4,’ cementing its status as one of this year’s major box-office successes. Strong performances and a layered take on the hidden story of King Danjong have driven repeat viewings and sustained positive word-of-mouth, fueling a prolonged run.

Although the two films belong to different genres, KPDH and ‘The Man’ share a common trait: both foreground Korean culture and sensibility. KPDH not only centers on K-pop idols but also peppers its world with Korean staples — gimbap, cup noodles, public bathhouses, traditional medicine clinics, signed swords and curved blades.

That cultural specificity has translated into broader interest in Korea itself. Visitor numbers to the National Museum of Korea rose 19% year-on-year, and the museum shop’s magpie-tiger badge recorded sales of 80 units in May, 160 in June, and an astonishing 38,140 in July.

‘The Man’ similarly attracted foreign viewers by portraying the historical Gye-yu Rebellion (Gye-yu Jeongnan) through distinctly Korean settings and emotions, appealing even to audiences less familiar with Korea’s past.

By weaving Korean stories and feelings into different genres, these two films have struck a chord with global audiences. The expanding reach of K-content has grown into such a powerful trend that calling it a cultural blockbuster no longer feels like an overstatement.