No one could have imagined that an animated film would go on to become Netflix’s most-watched title ever. Yes, you guessed it right. We are talking about KPop Demon Hunters, which was released on the platform on June 20. Directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, the musical fantasy went on to become a global phenomenon, all thanks to its unique storyline and catchy songs.
Following its immense success, the big question fans have been asking is whether KPop Demon Hunters will have a live-action remake. The answer is simply no. Both Maggie and Chris have put those speculations to rest, emphasising that real-life characters would not do justice to the animated ones. “There are so many elements of the tone and the comedy that are so suited for
animation,” Maggie told BBC News.
Both Directors Shared They Can’t “Imagine” KPop Demon Characters In Live-Action World
“It’s really hard to imagine these characters in a live-action world,” she continued, adding, “It would feel too grounded. So, totally it wouldn’t work for me.” Chris also agreed with what she had to say. He mentioned that animation allowed them to create characters with impossibly fun abilities, like performing a spinning back-kick while singing.
“One of the great things about animation is that you make these composites of impossibly great attributes. Rumi can be this goofy comedian and then singing and doing a spinning back-kick a second later, and then free-falling through the sky. The joy of animation is how far you can push and elevate what’s possible. I remember they adapted a lot of different anime, and oftentimes, it just feels a little stilted,” Chris explained.
Maggie Kang Hints At KPop Demon Hunters’ Sequel
Despite shutting down live-action hopes, talks for a sequel are already underway. During an interview with Variety, KPop Demon Hunters’ co-director Maggie hinted at a sequel for the animated film. She said, “We’ve set up so much for potential backstory. Obviously, there are 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.”
KPop Demon Hunters revolves around a K-pop girl group, Huntrix, who lead double lives. They are idols by day, and at night, they hunt demons. Their lives take a turn when a rival boy band, the Saja Boys, suddenly takes over their fandom, and the members are secretly demons. Huntrix face off against the boy band to close the golden honmoon and protect humans.
The film features voice performances by Arden Cho, Ahn Hyo Seop, May Hong, Ji Young Yoo, Yunjin Kim, Daniel Dae Kim, Ken Jeong, and Lee Byung Hun.
