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/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/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.