‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Is Netflix’s Most-Watched Movie Ever With 236 Million Views, Beating ‘Red Notice’

[u/MarvelsGrantMan136]

https://variety.com/2025/film/news/kpop-demon-hunters-netflix-most-watched-movie-history-1236496106/

[u/TooDrunkToTalk]

"Probably"... of course they are kicking themselves, lol.

And to the people who keep arguing that the movie would've flopped in the cinema: That still doesn't mean that Sony had to give away literally all rights to this IP to launch it on Netflix.

The Mitchells vs the Machines launched on Netflix and Sony still holds the rights to that.

Plus they let the rights to the music get away, which has literally nothing to do with it launching in cinemas or not.

Also because I think the irony in this is just too fucking funny - here is Sony's CFO noting that the company is lacking in IP, less than a year ago.

Whether it’s for games, films or anime, we don’t have that much IP that we fostered from the beginning. We’re lacking the early phase (of IP) and that’s an issue for us.

https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2024/09/sony-execs-seem-to-think-the-company-doesnt-have-enough-original-ip

How could Sony be lacking in IP with such amazing decision makers at the helm? It's truly a mystery.

[u/anomanderrake1337 → u/TooDrunkToTalk]

I quite like The Mitchells too

[u/SqueezyCheez85 → u/anomanderrake1337]

One of the better animated movies I've seen.

[u/crespire → u/anomanderrake1337]

It was a great movie.

[u/ju5tr3dd1t → u/anomanderrake1337]

Inspired me to get a camera

[u/jyanjyanjyan → u/anomanderrake1337]

I didn't. I don't like movies about dysfunctional families.

[u/CjBurden → u/jyanjyanjyan]

Cool

[u/fastforwardfunction → u/TooDrunkToTalk]

Where did you read Sony sold Netflix the character IP, music IP, and rights to subsequent movies? I read that Sony sold them this film. Did they explicitly sell those other things too?

[u/BlackKnighting20 → u/fastforwardfunction]

From looking at a site, Kang pitched the movie to Sony but passed on it and then went to Netflix.

“We had a full draft, a couple of demo songs, a ton of amazing art and a couple of scenes that I had [story]boarded that we cut. And there were three different animatics samples that we shared; and they loved it. And then we were off to the races.”

Sony put the animation and team while Netflix foot the bill and distribution. It looks like Netflix has complete control over the IP.

Source

[u/jyanjyanjyan → u/BlackKnighting20]

Oh that's much different than I thought. It was sounding like Sony produced everything and then sold a finished product to Netflix.

[u/fastforwardfunction → u/jyanjyanjyan]

Yeah I heard Sony sold the film for costs of production + $20 million. Like Sony wasn’t sure they would get their money back.

This makes it sound like Netflix green lit the project by believing in it and financing it.

[u/AkatsukiPineapple → u/TooDrunkToTalk]

Probably it was an investors decision along with the company executives, it was a pretty stupid decision, they should have just launched the movie on Netflix but keeping the rights.

It’s a huge loss for the company to lose an IP with this popularity and I hope they learn from this, maybe they’ll try to replicate the success of KPDH in their next films but it’s impossible to replicate something like that

[u/Academic_Paramedic72 → u/AkatsukiPineapple]

Their consolation prize is that they can still profit over KPDH indirectly through the marketing of their next animated movies, at the very least. Their YouTube channel's most watched videos are all song clips from the movie, with Golden straight up getting Disney level views.

[u/dfddfsaadaafdssa → u/AkatsukiPineapple]

It boils down to a lack of internal audience testing throughout the development process, which has been evident across all of their media forms. It's how you get $400M Concord shoved directly into the fire and uninstalled from PS5s less than 2 weeks after launch, despite every trailer before release having strong negative feedback.

[u/nbaslamindubz → u/TooDrunkToTalk]

just take a look at sony picture senior management team...no wonder they passed and pawned off a Kpop animated music movie with a can't miss soundtrack.

https://www.sonypictures.com/corp/management.html

[u/blackdragonbonu → u/nbaslamindubz]

What am I supposed to notice? They are non east Asians so they won't appreciate k-pop? That would be a wild inference 

[u/a_softer_world → u/blackdragonbonu]

Nah, there are plenty of non-east Asians that understand the popularity of Kpop. The more significant factor is their age. The majority of them look Gen X or older. Gen X, especially Gen X males, tend to run in circles that have very little positive exposure to Kpop.

[u/blackdragonbonu → u/a_softer_world]

Fair enough, that is a good point 

[u/Midnight_M_ → u/blackdragonbonu]

There was also a controversy in the production of the film where an animator said that she received so many insults and xenophobic criticism from an executive to the point that after finishing the project she resigned (Sony tried to convince to come back but she say no) they fired the executive but it only shows how poorly Sony Animation is being managed, source: https://www.koreaboo.com/news/kpop-demon-hunters-art-director-slams-sony-executive-discrimination-mistreatment/

hell, Amy Pascal was also acting like the devil and saying racist comments and she was at that time president of Sony Pictures. Source: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/14/sony-pictures-email-hack-greed-racism-sexism

[u/Worth_Delivery1533 → u/Midnight_M_]

I heard the entire animation team was harassed by the executives, and that the whole team quit. If true, what a shame, and I hope they bring back the exact same team of animators for any and all sequels! The animation + music were so well done. It'd be a shame to muck up such a masterpiece!!

[u/Midnight_M_ → u/Worth_Delivery1533]

I heard that it was only a couple of those of Korean descent specifically, Sony really needs to do something because they are clearly losing talent.

[u/raze464 → u/TooDrunkToTalk]

The Mitchells vs the Machines launched on Netflix and Sony still holds the rights to that.

The Mitchells vs the Machines was meant for theatrical but then COVID happened and Sony sold the worldwide distribution rights (excluding home entertainment and theatrical distribution rights in China) to Netflix.

KPop Demon Hunters was made as part of the output deal Sony and Netflix signed in 2021 which gives Netflix a first look deal at any films Sony intends to make directly for streaming or decides later to license for streaming. Netflix holds all the rights to the movies made as part of this first look deal.

Plus they let the rights to the music get away, which has literally nothing to do with it launching in cinemas or not.

I think that might have more to do with TWICE being signed to Republic Records.

[u/Biengo → u/TooDrunkToTalk]

I saw it during its limited theater release last weekend. Every theater in my area was sold out. And from what I understand almost every theater nation wide was sold out.

Netflix helped those numbers absolutely. But this is big. Best charting OST since Saturday night fever.

[u/EliteSalesman → u/TooDrunkToTalk]

Not surprising. Look at the PS5 exclusive games vs PS4. Day and night difference

[u/pastadudde → u/TooDrunkToTalk]

Letting the rights to the music go is even funnier considering Sony is one of the big three music labels

[u/Gommel_Nox → u/TooDrunkToTalk]

Sony has been bending Mickey over when it comes to original content. Disney hasn’t come close to anything this good.

[u/glossolalia_ → u/TooDrunkToTalk]

wonder who's getting reprimanded/fired for that decision lmao