KPop Demon Hunters (Korean: 케이팝 데몬 헌터스, RR: Keipab Demon Heonteoseu)[2] is a 2025 Korean-American animated musical urban fantasy action-comedy film produced by Sony Pictures Animation, directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans. It was released directly to Netflix on June 20, 2025. A special sing-along version was screened in select theaters in North America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand on August 23–24, 2025, before debuting on Netflix on August 25, 2025.

The film was first announced to be in development by Sony Pictures Animation on March 8, 2021. In April 2022, it was reported that Netflix had filed a registration for the project, and in February 2023, Sony Pictures CEO Tom Rothman confirmed that the film would be released on the streaming service. In June 2024, the film was announced to be released in 2025.

On November 6, 2025 a sequel was officially confirmed with an estimated release date of 2029.[3] Despite this, during an interview at the Variety Hitmakers Awards on December 6, 2025, Rei Ami suggested that none of the actors had been contacted regarding a sequel and that the reported 2029 date wasn't official yet.[4]

KPop Demon Hunters was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards in 2026, and secured two awards including Outstanding Animated Feature Film.[citation needed]

Synopsis
According to the Sony Pictures Animation website, the film's official synopsis is as follows:[5]

When they aren't selling out stadiums, K-Pop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey use their secret identities as demon hunters to protect their fans from the ever-present supernatural threat. Together, they must face their biggest enemy yet – an irresistible rival boy band of demons in disguise.

Plot
Long ago, trios of singers in Korea emerge as demon hunters, sealing away demons that feast on human souls for their ruler, Gwi-Ma. The hunters sing "songs of courage and hope" that bring people together in order to cultivate a magical barrier called the Honmoon. Over time, new generations of hunter trios use their singing voices to keep the Honmoon activated. If the Honmoon is reinforced enough, it will turn gold and become a permanent barrier.

In the present, the demon hunters exist in the form of the K-pop girl group HUNTR/X – comprising Rumi, Mira, and Zoey – under the guidance of Celine, a previous hunter who had raised Rumi. ("Prologue (Hunter's Mantra)") The group is at the height of their popularity, and the girls are well-trained in physically fending off demons who try to attack them and eat their fans ("How It's Done"). Despite Mira and Zoey looking forward to a vacation after just completing a world tour ("Strategy"), Rumi fast tracks the release of the group's next single, "Golden," having noticed that the Honmoon is close to turning gold. Rumi is eager to finalize the Honmoon's seal because she is part demon (a fact only Celine knows); as a child, Celine told Rumi the that turning the Honmoon might erase Rumi's demon patterns (Hunter's Mantra (Reprise)). However, Rumi starts losing her voice during promotions for "Golden", and realizes the demon markings on her skin are spreading (Golden (Reprise)).

In the demon world, Gwi-Ma grows enraged at his minions' failures to kill the hunters. ("Jinu's Lament") A demon named Jinu proposes a new strategy: to form a K-pop boy group, the Saja Boys, to siphon fans away from HUNTR/X, thereby weakening the Honmoon. In exchange, he asks for Gwi-Ma to erase his human memories.

HUNTR/X encounter the Saja Boys on the streets of Seoul ("Love Me Right") as handsome young men ("Love, Maybe") who delight a large crowd with a catchy new song ("Soda Pop"). The girls quickly spot the boys' demon patterns, and later unsuccessfully try to capture them at a bathhouse. During the scuffle, Jinu discovers Rumi's demon nature, but helps hide it from her bandmates.

Meeting privately, Jinu tells Rumi that demons are enslaved by feelings of shame and sorrow through voices from Gwi-Ma. He reveals that 400 years earlier, Gwi-Ma granted him a beautiful voice that helped him and his family emerge from poverty, but then condemned him to the demon world; Jinu now lives with guilt over his family's subsequent downfall.

The Saja Boys' popularity skyrockets, so HUNTR/X rush to produce a diss track, "Takedown," to expose them at the upcoming Idol Awards. The boys crash one of HUNTR/X's fansign events, and the girls are forced to sit with them so that their own fans don't migrate. Jinu tells Rumi that he hates serving Gwi-Ma, but that hate cannot defeat the demon lord. Jinu is surprised when a young fan gives him a drawing with the message "You have a beautiful soul." Rumi spontaneously whips up an applause for Jinu, much to Mira's confusion.

Mira grows suspicious of Rumi when the latter questions if "Takedown" is too hateful toward demons (internally, Rumi feels like the harsh lyrics are inadvertently directed at her) (Takedown (Reprise)). Torn between her identities, Rumi proposes a plan to Jinu: If he helps HUNTR/X win the Idol Awards and strengthen the Honmoon, he could freely stay in the human world.

As the Honmoon weakens and more people have their souls stolen by demons (Takedown (Train Reprise), Mira insists to Rumi they prioritize saving lives over rewriting "Takedown". Rumi confides in Jinu that her shame over her heritage weakened her voice, but being able to talk to him about it openly has allowed her voice to heal ("Free"). After the two sing together, Jinu realizes that he no longer hears Gwi-Ma's haunting voices, and resolves to sabotage the Saja Boys. After Rumi leaves, however, Gwi-Ma summons Jinu, reminding him of their deal and the truth Jinu hides – that he willingly abandoned his family when his singing voice granted him a life of luxury – before threatening to return the tormenting voices unless he does his bidding.

At the Idol Awards, the Saja Boys fail to appear, and HUNTR/X perform "Golden" instead of "Takedown" to promote unity over hatred. However, impostor demons sent by Jinu split Mira and Zoey from Rumi, then pose as the former two to trick Rumi into performing "Takedown", during which they forcibly reveal her demon marks and condemn her. Rumi flees the stage and runs into the real Mira and Zoey, who feel betrayed upon learning she hid her heritage and collusion with Jinu. Rumi confronts Jinu for tricking her, and he admits to lying about his past.

Gwi-Ma casts a trance over Mira, Zoey, and the public, drawing them to the Saja Boys' final performance designed to shatter the Honmoon and unleash him ("Your Idol"). Rumi finds Celine and asks to be put down for being half-demon. Celine refuses and offers to conceal the events, but Rumi lashes out at Celine for treating her demon half as taboo and never fully loving her, before leaving (Hunter's Mantra (Reprise)).

Rumi interrupts the Saja Boys' performance with a new song addressing shame and fear, which breaks Gwi-Ma's trance over Mira and Zoey. ("What It Sounds Like") Reunited, HUNTR/X fight back and free the crowd. A repentant Jinu sacrifices himself to save Rumi from an attack by Gwi-Ma and transfers his restored soul to her; the empowered HUNTR/X defeat Gwi-Ma and the Saja Boys, ultimately sealing the demons and restoring the Honmoon.

Afterwards, Rumi, no longer ashamed of her marks, relaxes with Mira and Zoey. HUNTR/X later reappear in public to meet with their fans. ("Takedown (Twice Version)")

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