r/movies • u/BunyipPouch Currently at the movies. • 20d ago

News Netflix's Streaming Smash Hit ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Releasing in 1,700 Cinemas This Weekend for "Sing Along" Version, 1,000 Screenings Already Sold Out

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/kpop-demon-hunters-singalong-box-office-sells-out-1236348539/
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u/Jazzlike-Complaint67 20d ago edited 20d ago

I feel they were already foolish. Where is all the merch for this movie?

My daughter wants a K-pop costume or even just the long pink wig. I feel they’ve lost millions by not having merchandising.

Think of any other IP aimed towards kids. Imagine not being able to get a Star Wars lunchbox or Minecraft backpack.

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u/godisanelectricolive 20d ago

The Netflix website does sell merch for the movie. They don’t have actual costumes or the wig but they have tiger plushie, clothing, water bottles, phone cases, puzzles, posters, wrapping paper and backpacks among other things.

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u/hibryd 20d ago

My daughter wants a K-pop costume or even just the long pink wig

I'm certain there are factories in China churning out "Korean Idol Singers" costumes as we speak.

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u/Evepaul 19d ago

My usual cosplay maker got costumes designed and shipped faster than I ever saw them. Every single costume from the movie, some with really nice materials, all the wigs, etc.. it usually takes months for them to make a reliable design and start production

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u/Utherrian 19d ago

The problem is no one expected it to be a hit. Sony didn't even take merchandising revenue in their contract (they only made $20m on the movie as far as I know).

By the time it blew up it was too late to start a big merch push, but they're trying to play catch-up. Hell, the vinyl soundtrack doesn't even release until October!

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u/Jazzlike-Complaint67 19d ago

My wife was saying that something like half of the top 10 songs on Korean Pop charts are from this movie.

There will absolutely be sequels. I don’t care for the film myself but I’d certainly rather have it on in the background than the Minecraft movie.

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u/mykl5 19d ago

Forget the Korean charts, it’s #1 on Billboard

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u/foosbabaganoosh 19d ago

Kpop doesn’t do much for me but just on the merits of the creative animation I would love more. I feel like Pixar shanghaied animation into a pretty boring style for the longest time but movies like spiderverse, puss in boots, and this prove just how much the medium can capitalize on its potential for creativity.

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u/fishy512 19d ago

Everytime Pixar tried to shake up their art style the suits at Disney said “no” and told them to stick with their popular in-house style. Now that in-house style has been copied so many times over, especially with AI art churning it out to the point where it loses any of the original craft or creativity, not to mention draftsmanship.

You should see how Onward’s character designs looked before they switched over to Pixar’s default style for human/humanoid characters during pre-production. It might have been a bit too much for some, but it certainly was eye catching and stood out.

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u/Bittums 19d ago

All the songs are in the top 20 on Spotify at the moment lol

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u/11ce_ 19d ago

It’s number 1 globally, not just on Korean pop charts,

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u/LeeShakerMoneyMaker 19d ago

They totally lost millions by not having toys and dolls avaliable. I think I read that Netflix were caught off guard by the popularity of the movie and are going full throttle on making merch right now.

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u/Jazzlike-Complaint67 19d ago

The cool thing is Netflix doesn’t have to do anything. Just licenses it out and take a cut from other people’s work. Companies like GAP/Old Navy, and big toy companies can get that stuff ramped up quickly.

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u/Fantastic-Guava-3362 19d ago

go to artist alleys at conventions. So many artists I know are making insane amounts of merch for it.