Chapter 1The Origin StorySeven is an auspicious number, and a robust quantity of years to spend in development and production for an animated film . . . but when the end result is the phenomenon that
KPop Demon Hunters has become, it’s certainly more than luck that brings such an artistic, globally-uniting vision to reality. “Growing up watching movies set in other Asian cultures, I wanted to see the Korean culture represented in an animated movie,” explains writer/director Maggie Kang. “For some reason, I landed on demonology. I thought about how the
jeoseung saja (grim reapers in Korean mythology) was such an iconic image from my childhood, and the thought of demons naturally led to demon hunters,” she adds. “And I knew I wanted to see female superheroes who were a lot more relatable, who like to eat and make silly faces . . . not just being pretty, sexy and cool, but with real insecurities.”
In partnership with writer/director Chris Appelhans, the filmmakers wove Korean mythology, heritage, cuisine and popular music into an intricate tapestry, featuring powerful female characters as the central focus. The manifestation of all this was HUNTR/X, a trio of K-pop artists who follow in the footsteps (and dance steps) of many generations of warriors, each set of which has lived double lives of performing as musicians while also protecting their fans and the greater world from the ever-present threat of demons. Their goal is to seal the
Honmoon, the protective shield between the mortal and demon worlds, which is strengthened by human connection. “What’s wonderful about K-pop in the modern world is just the way that it brings people together, with so much empathy. It crosses all boundaries, all cultural borders. For us to come up with a mythology that taps into the truth of what this music does feels powerful,” says Appelhans.
That powerful and unique film concept came to be known as
KPop Demon Hunters and attracted a dynamic collaboration of Sony Pictures Animation and Sony Pictures Imageworks crewmembers; a masterful K-pop production team gathered under the leadership of executive music producer Ian Eisendrath; a cast of vibrant vocal talent; and excitedly supportive Netflix partners to join a golden adventure they never could have imagined.
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