A clear message has been sent to the traditional Hollywood system: a new challenger has taken the crown. “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” an animated musical, has officially become the most-watched film in Netflix’s history by view count, outperforming a blockbuster laden with some of the industry’s biggest names.
Since its June release, the film has drawn in a massive 236 million views. This number was enough to dethrone “Red Notice,” the action-comedy starring Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot. This upset demonstrates the growing power of international genres and animation on the global stage.
While “K-Pop Demon Hunters” is the undisputed leader in viewership, it comes in third for total time spent watching. Its 23 billion minutes viewed are less than “Red Notice” (27 billion) and “Don’t Look Up” (25 billion), a fact explained by its concise 100-minute length.
The film’s cultural footprint extends to the music world, where its soundtrack has charted four songs in the Billboard Hot 100 top 10. Given its universal acclaim and the announcement of a sequel, this animated upstart has firmly established its place in pop culture.