If there was one thing that no one would have expected to beat The Rock into submission, kill off Deadpool, and feed the Wicked Queen her own poison apple, then a trio of feisty singing demon hunters from Korea would probably be at the top of the list.
But, in a surreal way, that is exactly what has happened as Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot’s Netflix hit Red Notice has been dethroned as the most-watched film in Netflix history by KPop Demon Hunters.
Red Notice was released on Netflix in 2021, and despite taking a pounding from critics, it smashed through every record to become far-and-away the biggest movie to ever hit the platform. Since then, nothing has been able to come close to taking the crown from the star-studded movie, but after racking up a mind-boggling 236 million views in the last two months, KPop Demon Hunters is now officially the biggest movie in the world – and it will take some beating. And that is not the only thing Netflix will be celebrating right now. The sing-along version of the movie was released for two days in cinemas on August 23 and 24, selling out thousands of screenings, and making a reported $20 million, technically becoming the number one movie in another first for the streamer. Right now, the original movie is holding the number 2 spot on Netflix, and the sing-along version is at number 3, seemingly meaning that the film will extend its lead at the top of Netflix’s all-time list.
Produced by Sony Pictures Animation – who sold the movie off to Netflix rather than distributing it themselves – KPop Demon Hunters blends day-glow visuals with the story of global girl-group HUNTR/X (Rumi, Mira and Zoey) as they juggle pop stardom with a secret night job fighting demons – which happens to include a rival boy band, the Saja Boys, who are literally from hell. As well as an innovative animation style – which is only to be expected coming from the studio behind the Spider-Verse movies – the musical aspect of the film has certainly helped it find an audience.
As well as instigating the theatrical sing-along version of the movie, the soundtrack has scored four hit singles, which in turn have brought even more viewers on board. With talk of a franchise now being almost guaranteed, KPop Demon Hunters is not going to be a movie that is easily forgotten. It has already spent two solid months at the top end of the Netflix chart, and the arrival of the sing-along option is only going to boost its hold on the streamer. What is even more impressive is that KPop Demon Hunters is also a movie that has increased its Rotten Tomatoes score after its theatrical stint, pushing up from a 98% Popcornmeter to 99% over the weekend. With the hype around the movie growing all the time, it seems that, when all is said and done, KPop Demon Hunters is an unstoppable force that is going to remain Netflix’s biggest movie for a very, very long time.
