How Netflix Built the Perfect Platform for KPop Demon Hunters
© Netflix
My Franchise Playbook for Turning a Breakout Into a Legacy
KPop Demon Hunters isn’t just a hit — it’s a moment. Created by Sony and supercharged by Netflix, it debuted at #1 in 60+ countries, the soundtrack garnered 8.5 million Spotify streams in a single day, and songs like “Golden” and “Your Idol” surged by 250% or more week over week. It’s now Netflix’s most-watched film ever — and this week the sing-along theatrical cut delivered Netflix’s first #1 U.S. box-office weekend, earning an estimated $18–20M. That speed and scale show how Netflix’s platform can transform a single title into a global cultural moment almost overnight.
This is Netflix’s Frozen moment — the rare chance to build an original animated franchise that could thrive for years. Getting there isn’t about speed for its own sake; it’s about vision, cohesion, and pacing — the hallmarks of Disney’s franchise machine. Netflix knows how to make great content. Franchise building is a different muscle: creating a shared, sustained experience across every touchpoint — on-screen, in music, in products, and in culture. And for me, it starts with understanding why this property is striking such a chord right now.
Why KPop Demon Hunters Is Striking a Chord
KPop Demon Hunters landed at exactly the right cultural moment. Netflix has spent years championing regional voices on a global stage — nowhere more successfully than in Korea and across Asia. Breakouts like Squid Game and Physical 100 built a massive subscriber base and primed audiences for Korean-led storytelling, while the global rise of K-pop created a ready-made audience hungry for this kind of story. That platform momentum, combined with an authentic creative vision, gave KPop Demon Hunters the perfect runway to soar.
And at its emotional core, KPop Demon Hunters celebrates fandom itself. It doesn’t just acknowledge its fans — it honors them. Fandom is woven into the narrative as something powerful, joyful, and worth celebrating, and by pairing that spirit with culturally authentic music, the film makes its audience feel truly seen. Add a tone that’s teen-friendly without being juvenile — edgy enough for older teens yet accessible to younger viewers — and a bold, fandom-ready world full of distinct characters, striking visuals, and layered mythology, and it’s clear why this film is resonating so strongly.
The Creator Factor
The creative force behind KPop Demon Hunters is as unique as the film itself. Co-directed by Maggie Kang (The Lego Ninjago Movie) and Chris Appelhans (Wish Dragon), from a story conceived by Kang and a screenplay by Kang, Appelhans, Hannah McMechan, and Danya Jimenez, the film benefits from a blend of perspectives that feels both deeply personal and globally accessible. Kang has described the movie as a love letter to Korean culture, crafted to resonate worldwide, while Appelhans brings a gift for grounding fantastical worlds in emotional truth, making the spectacle matter. McMechan and Jimenez translate that vision into a screenplay that’s sharp, funny, heartfelt, and rich with worldbuilding detail. Together, this team has created something that doesn’t just feature K-pop as an aesthetic — it embraces the language, celebrates fandom, and captures the spirit of Korean pop culture in a way that feels both specific and universal. As the franchise expands into sequels, shorts, music, and merchandise, keeping these voices at the table will help preserve the cultural truth and narrative integrity that make this IP special.
The Music!
The music is the heartbeat of KPop Demon Hunters, because it is deeply authentic. Guided by Executive Music Producer Ian Eisendrath, whose vision was “storytelling through music,” the film assembled a powerhouse lineup of collaborators, including The Black Label — the Korean record label co-founded by producer Teddy Park — in partnership with Republic Records. The result is a soundtrack that not only complements the film but also advances the narrative, featuring original songs and collaborations with real K-pop artists. Notably, seven songs are in Spotify’s Global Top 50, and Golden currently holds the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. The soundtrack also made history as the first ever to have four songs simultaneously in the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100—a historic feat for a song from a kids’ animated film. More than just a hit album, the music has become the cultural engine of the franchise—fueling repeat viewings, fan creativity, and the sense that this story is bigger than the screen.
Sing-Along & Theatrical Moment
With the Sing-Along Event, KPop Demon Hunters gave Netflix its first #1 weekend at the U.S. box office — an unprecedented milestone for the streamer. But more importantly, the sing-along format turned a theatrical screening into a participatory fan experience. By inviting audiences to sing together, Netflix connected the cultural heartbeat of the film — its music — to a communal, in-person moment. It’s a smart bridge between streaming success and live fan engagement, and a clear example of how Netflix can build “pulse moments” that keep momentum alive between major releases. That momentum carried over to the platform as well: in the week of August 19–25, the film drew another 25.4 million views on Netflix, maintaining its position at the top of the global charts and solidifying its status as the streamer’s most-watched film of all time. Rarely does a streaming-first launch translate into box office dominance, sustained platform engagement, music industry records, and a long-term franchise blueprint. This has the potential to be a defining franchise moment for Netflix.
© Netflix
My Franchise Philosophy
My approach has always been to build the storyworld before adding any extensions.
A storyworld is a map of authentic storylines based on the original storyline, showing where they intersect, diverge, and build upon each other. It’s the rules, relationships, history, and tone that give the world its integrity.
I do this for all of our IPs because it sets a course for what could be. And it’s never “done” — it’s a living document we revisit, amend, and grow as the franchise evolves and the audience deepens its connection.
I think of it as opening doors into new parts of the IP — doors the audience didn’t even know were there, but once they step through, it feels both surprising and inevitable.
I learned this while working with J.K. Rowling on the Harry Potter films. She had far more ideas than could fit into the books or films, and it was amazing to explore them with her. Those “extra” ideas not only belonged but also gave originality to extensions beyond the books and films. Similarly, I used the same strategy for Stranger Things, and that is how we came up with the idea to share what Will experienced in the Upside Down. We knew parts of this story from the series, but we didn’t “see” it through Will’s eyes till we built that narrative for the Stranger Things: The Other Side comics with Jody Houser and Dark Horse.
The same approach here could help KPop Demon Hunters grow in ways that feel organic to its world, rather than being bolted on after the fact. My goal is to always build experiences for fans that provide them with a deeper connection to the IP with each touchpoint. It always builds excitement and content virality as fans discover something new with each experience. Building your storyworld can be the map that brings the latter to life!
The Top Line Franchise Playbook for KPop Demon Hunters
With two sequels, a short film, and a stage musical reportedly in the works, the building blocks are there. The opportunity ahead for Netflix isn’t just to celebrate a record-setting hit — it’s to turn KPop Demon Hunters from a breakthrough title into a sustainable franchise. Lightning in a bottle is rare. Sustaining it takes consistency and long-term planning — and that’s where the real opportunity lies.
Set the Long-Term Roadmap Now
Map the narrative arc for all three films so story arcs — and songs — connect into one larger, intentional storyworld. Define the IP’s DNA to guide extension from live events to licensing. There’s a significant opportunity to deepen consumer products and partnerships here — ensuring the franchise lives across multiple fan touchpoints and creates original experiences with each medium. Consider what you’ve learned since launch, and let the IP DNA evolve alongside its fans and the world around it — staying relevant and resonant without losing its core vision.Bridge the Gap with Pulse Moments
New animated films and even a stage musical will take several years to develop. Keep fans hooked with an ebb-and-flow of high-impact moments aimed at surprising, delighting, and re-energizing the fandom at regular intervals:Character backstory shorts, and digital experiences to pull teens deeper into the world.
Halloween - we started a relationship with Universal Studios and Halloween Horror Nights when I was at Netflix. Lean into that with a Gwi-Ma and the Saja Boys pop-up!
Bring Hunter/x into the Real World
Launch a Global Concert Tour — a hybrid live experience blending the band’s performance with cinematic moments, fan covers, sing-alongs, and cosplay.
Expand the Music Catalog — new EPs and albums that build a discography beyond the soundtrack while staying rooted in the world of KPop Demon Hunters.
A Hunter/x concert blending live performance, with sections of the film playing on big screens behind them, fan covers, and even encourage cosplay.
New Hunter/x EPs and albums.
Make fashion its own statement — from film-inspired collections to streetwear collabs.
Continue to build theatrical and participatory moments like the sing-along edition — events that bring fans together in person while reinforcing the story’s musical heartbeat.
Build the Multi-Channel Engine
Music, fashion, and gaming should be ongoing cultural touchpoints:
● Tie soundtrack drops and remixes to in-world events.
● Sync product launches with cultural moments.
● Develop a game experience that merges music, style, and demon-hunting action.Keep It Authentic
Keep the core creative team involved. Protect the cultural specifics, the language, and the aesthetic that make this IP unique.Think Movement, Not Just a Movie
This is more than a film — it’s a fandom. Every part of Netflix — from music, to content, marketing, consumer products, and live events — should move in sync, guided by one clear vision developed in collaboration with the Sony Animation film creators. The film broke through because of its authenticity; therefore, every activation must be carefully scrutinized to ensure that authenticity is not only preserved but also expanded upon as the KPop Demon Hunter world grows.
The Bottom Line
KPop Demon Hunters, created by Sony Animation and owned by Netflix, has all the ingredients to be Netflix’s first true kids-and-family franchise. The sequels and spin-offs are just the beginning. The real legacy will be shaped in between — through the moments, stories, and experiences that keep fans connected for years to come. Handled with care, this could become more than a single hit — it has the potential to be a cultural milestone.
What will be most exciting is watching how Netflix approaches this next chapter. Without the built-in Disney franchise machine, they’ll need to expand partnerships and invent their own playbook. Is this the beginning of a new way to grow an additional dimension across the company? Unicorns, like KPop Demon Hunters, are rare — so Netflix will need to balance the (huge) opportunity with the potential distraction for a single title. As Netflix’s former head of global franchise development, I know how significant this evolution could be — and I’ll be watching (and cheering) as it unfolds.
