KPop Demon Hunters creator does not want a live action remake of the hit film

KPop Demon Hunters has been one of Netflix's biggest projects this year with it's vibrant imagery, brilliant storytelling and a soundtrack that has performed incredibly in the industry. The animated film has received much praise from fans, with many even talking about a live-action version. But as talks of a potential continuation surround the film, there's one route that creator Maggie Kang would not want to take.

The team behind the film have already expressed their interest in a sequel but will not be getting a live-action version anytime soon as Kang talked to the BBC about why she would not want to see the film get a live action version. Speaking to the outlet, the director said,

“There’s so many elements of the tone and the comedy that are so suited for animation. It’s really hard to imagine these characters in a live-action world. It would feel too grounded. So totally it wouldn’t work for me.”

Chris Appelhans, who co-directed the film along with Kang also shared the sentiments as he told the outlet,

“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 [into live action] and often times, it just feels a little stilted.”

More details about KPop Demon Hunters

Under flashing lights and neon skies, KPop Demon Hunters storms the 2025 film scene as a genre-bending animated musical that turns the K-pop world into a supernatural battleground. Directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, with a screenplay by Kang, Danya Jimenez, and Hannah McMechan, the film reimagines idol life through an urban fantasy lens. Produced by Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix, the movie features an all-star voice cast including Arden Cho, Ahn Hyo-seop, May Hong, Ji-young Yoo, Yunjin Kim, Daniel Dae Kim, Ken Jeong, and Lee Byung-hun.

The story follows Huntr/x, a chart-topping girl group secretly moonlighting as demon hunters. Their latest challenge? The Saja Boys, a rival boy band whose members are literal demons led by Jinu, a cursed former human. As their fan bases collide, the harmony holding humanity together begins to unravel. Rumi, Huntr/x’s lead vocalist, hides a dangerous truth, that she’s half-demon, and her struggle with shame threatens to silence her powers just as the demonic king Gwi-Ma prepares to return.

Premiering on Netflix on June 20, 2025, the film shattered records with 325 million views, becoming the platform’s most-watched original title. Its sing-along theatrical re-release on August 23-24 topped the U.S. box office, marking a first for Netflix. Critics hailed it as a cultural event, visually arresting, emotionally rich, and powered by fierce performances. A sequel is now in early talks, while a short prequel, Debut: A KPop Demon Hunters Story is also under production.