‘It was ambitious, maybe foolish’: KPop Demon Hunters co-director on its success, a sequel and the human touch in animation

“We had absolutely never imagined that it would circle the globe the way it has,” says K-pop Demon Hunters co-director Chris Appelhans to SCREEN over an early morning Zoom call from Los Angeles. The animated musical fantasy film became Netflix’s most-streamed and popular title, retaining its spot in the Top 10 four months after its release in June this year. It is not just the film. The K-pop Demon Hunters soundtrack, featuring the fictional pop groups HUNTR\X and Saja Boys, has surpassed some of the biggest names in K-pop. From debuting at No. 1 on Billboard’s Soundtracks chart to topping the all-genre Billboard 200 Global charts, Golden by HUNTR\X and Soda Pop by Saja Boys compete amongst themselves for the top spot. As it spawns cosplays and trends across platforms, there is a viral buz