The Netflix animated film "KPop Demon Hunters," which has gained global popularity, is being discussed as a potential Academy Award (Oscar) nominee.
Recently, Variety, a leading American film industry publication, mentioned "KPop Demon Hunters" as a worthy contender for the "2025 Oscar Animated Feature category."
Variety described "KPop Demon Hunters" as "a vibrant and colorful musical journey that combines animated aesthetics with K-Pop elements to celebrate femininity and cultural pride. This Netflix original is a delightful festival of a film that the animation category should rightfully recognize."
"KPop Demon Hunters" is a hybrid action musical animation set against the backdrop of globally popular K-Pop girl group members who hunt demons off-stage. The film, produced by Sony Pictures Animation, the studio behind "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," was co-directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, enhancing its quality. Korean actors Ahn Hyo-seop and Lee Byung-hun contributed their voice acting talents, adding to the immersion.
Since its release, the film has entered the Netflix Top 10 in over 90 countries, ranking first in more than 40 of them, and creating a box office sensation. It has garnered a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, drawing positive responses from critics for its visual style, characters, and action direction, and has been hailed as "a challenge to the conventional animation genre" and "a cultural turning point."
The film's musical achievements are also notable. Its soundtrack album reached number 3 on the US Billboard album chart, capturing the attention of music fans, while the track "Your Idol" topped the Spotify Daily Top Songs chart in the US, proving the synergy between K-Pop and animation.
With the Oscar ceremony scheduled for next March, it is early to predict nominations. However, the critical acclaim "KPop Demon Hunters" has received for its quality and global popularity is certainly a positive sign.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)