Sony Animation Leaders Justify Netflix Release for K-Pop Demon Hunters: “It Required Time, Not Possible in Theaters”

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Would KPop Demon Hunters have achieved its massive success without Netflix? According to the presidents of Sony Pictures Animation, the answer is likely no.

In a recent interview, they defended their choice to debut the animated film on the streaming platform rather than in theaters, emphasizing that it “needed time” to reach its audience. “One million percent, it had to be on Netflix,” said one of the presidents. “It was the perfect storm of that movie coming together with the power of that platform.”

The studio’s co-president explained that with Netflix releases, there are three key “check-ins” at three days, 10 days, and 28 days post-release. Initially, the film performed moderately well, but then it exploded in popularity. “Normally you wouldn’t hear from them again between the 10-day and the 28-day mark. But then we got a call from Hannah Minghella [Head of Feature Animation and Family Film at Netflix] around day 14. ‘Something is going on here.’ So, it needed time, which you don’t get in theaters,” they elaborated.

The film premiered on Netflix on June 20 last year, and its overwhelming success led to a limited theatrical release and a sing-along version, both available in cinemas and on streaming. Since then, it has garnered over half a billion views on streaming and earned more than $24 million at the box office.

Echoing Sony’s sentiments, Netflix’s co-CEO stated that the film’s success would not have been possible without its initial release on the platform. He believes that the anime feature’s box office triumph is “because it was released on Netflix first,” allowing it to build momentum, and that “superfans” ultimately propelled the film to success by driving the recommendation engine.

Looking ahead, HUNTR/X is gearing up for the Academy Awards, where the film is nominated for two awards: Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for “Golden.” Additionally, the voices of EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami will perform live during the ceremony on March 15.

For more details, check out the complete list of Oscars 2026 nominations and our roundup of all upcoming movies this year.

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