The animated musical KPop Demon Hunters has climbed “up, up, up” Netflix’s charts to become its most viewed movie ever, the streaming platform says.
Since its release in June, the film has been watched more than 236 million times, overtaking the action comedy Red Notice to take the top spot.
It is the latest in a series of chart-topping achievements by the film which has become a surprise global hit.
Songs from the movie have also been some of the most streamed online on Spotify, while the track Golden hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 earlier this month.
Produced by Sony Pictures Animation, Kpop Demon Hunters follows the adventures of fictional K-pop girl band Huntr/x as its three members use their music and fighting skills to protect humans from demons.
It was launched in June with a relatively low-key premiere at Netflix’s Tudum theatre in Los Angeles.
But over the summer the film gained momentum through word of mouth, boosted by viral videos and memes on social media.
Many have praised it for its eye-catching animation and its depiction of both traditional and modern Korean culture.
But the biggest attraction for many has been the movie’s catchy K-pop songs. Some of the soundtrack’s producers and songwriters are K-pop industry veterans who have worked with groups such as BTS and Twice.
Maggie Kang, the Korean-Canadian co-director of the film, previously said that they had wanted the film’s music to be “really incredible and really speak to the K-pop fans and be legitimately fit into the K-pop space”.
Capitalising on the songs’ popularity, Netflix released a sing-along version in cinemas in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand last weekend.
This netted Netflix its first number one film at the US box office. It has since released the sing-along version worldwide on its platform.
Many songs on the soundtrack have entered the top 10 of Spotify’s global chart, with Golden currently still at number one.
That track, along with Your Idol by Saja Boys, the arch enemies of Huntr/x in the film, have at different times topped the US Spotify chart.
This has made Huntr/x and Saja Boys the highest charting female and male K-pop groups in US Spotify history – surpassing real-life K-pop juggernauts BTS and Blackpink.
The Kpop Demon Hunters soundtrack has also become the first to have four simultaneous Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.
Talks about a film sequel are reportedly in the early stages.
