Will 'KPop Demon Hunters' Return for a Sequel? Everything We Know About the Franchise's Future

Whether you're a K-pop stan or just love some great animated action, everyone's loving KPop Demon Hunters. Directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, the Netflix/Sony Pictures Animation film brings Korean mythology to a modern-day setting, in a world where generations of Hunters have protected the mortal plane from the demon king Gwi-ma. Hunters and K-pop stars Rumi, Mira, and Zoey use their voices and the love of their fans to strengthen the barrier between Earth and the underworld, but when a demon boy band threatens to steal their fans, the trio become locked in a fan battle to save the world.

Since its premiere on June 20, 2025, KPop Demon Hunters has become Netflix's most-watched movie ever, remaining in the streamer's Global Top 10 list for 20 weeks straight. HUNTR/X and the Saja Boys have received co-signs from TWICE and BTS, topped the Billboard charts, and even gained attention from the Academy Awards. And naturally, millions of fans worldwide are begging for a continuation of the hilarious and heartfelt story. Below, we're keeping track of any news of whether KPop Demon Hunters will return.

Has 'KPop Demon Hunters 2' been announced?

It's official: KPop Demon Hunters 2 is happening! On November 5, multiple outlets reported that Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation had finalized a deal for a KPDH film sequel, with co-directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans returning.

The big news comes after months of speculation, during which the streaming giant has capitalized on the film's status as a word-of-mouth sensation, from sharing plenty of social media posts and an ever-growing selection of merch (including lightsticks!) to releasing a theatrical sing-along run that made $17-18 million in one August weekend.

Also, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos went on record praising the global phenomenon during a July 2025 earnings call, according to a report from TheWrap. The mogul highlighted KPDH as "a phenomenal success out of the gate…And the fact that people are in love with this film and in love with the music from this film, that will keep it going for a long time. So we’re really thrilled. And now the next beat is, where does it go from here?"

Netflix is also reportedly working on expanding KPop Demon Hunters into a franchise. According to TheWrap's late July report, the streamer is considering multiple options, including two(!) animated sequels, a live-action remake, a TV series, and a stage musical. A week later, after a fair share of fan criticism unfolded online, sources told The Hollywood Reporter that the live-action film was no longer being considered.

In the meantime, expect to see KPDH everywhere, from merch and partnerships dominating in-person stories to a huge awards campaign for the film ahead of the 2026 Oscars.

Long before they officially signed on, Kang and Appelhans both made it clear that they're interested in returning to the world of KPDH, and that the creative team already has thoughts on what could come next. "There are always side stories, and there are things we've thought of while making this one. There are a lot of questions that are answered, but not fully. I think there are a lot of pockets that we can explore," she said at the time.

When will 'KPop Demon Hunters 2' come out?

Though the KPop Demon Hunters sequel is now official, fans still have a long wait ahead of them. Netflix and Sony reportedly plan to release the sequel in 2029, which reflects the average time it takes to produce an animated feature film. Still, as Variety points out, "release date plans could change depending on the film’s production schedule."

For anyone wondering about the first film's timeline, Kang has said that she began pitching KPDH seven years ago, and Variety first reported on its development in March 2021. Executive music producer Ian Eisendrath began working on the film in 2022. So the 2029 release window is the same length as the original production timeline (though fingers crossed that KPDH 2 could be fast-tracked).

What would 'KPop Demon Hunters 2' be about?

As fans have pointed out, the ending of KPop Demon Hunters leaves plenty of unanswered questions. The animated action-musical ends with Rumi, Mira, and Zoey defeating Gwi-ma and creating a new Honmoon, with all demons expelled from Seoul. Though the new barrier appears strong, it wasn't golden, the color that signaled that HUNTR/X had banished demons from the world once and for all. This itself leaves room for the sequel, if another demon breaks through and threatens the world.

Unfortunately for Saja Boys fans, there's little chance that the boy group would make a comeback. In the final fight, Mira and Zoey killed Abby and Mystery (and presumably Romance and Baby offscreen), while Jinu sacrificed himself and gave his soul to Rumi. Still, many fans have theorized that Jinu's spirit lives within Rumi's new sword, which would give the sequel a chance to bring him back and continue his romance with Rumi. (For what it's worth, Kang has been tight-lipped about Jinu's fate.)

In addition to the return of Jinu, plenty of fan theories have been dedicated to the characters's backstories, especially the love story between Rumi's Hunter mother and demon father. Speaking to Variety, director Maggie Kang revealed that she is interested in exploring their origins in a possible sequel, and not only Rumi's.

"We’ve set up so much for potential backstory. Obviously, there’s a lot of questions that are left unanswered and areas that are not explored, and we had to do that because there’s only so much movie you could tell in 85 minutes," she told the outlet. "This was Rumi’s story, and we have backstories for Zoey and Mira – ones that we actually put in the movie, but it just kind of rejected it. It just wasn’t the movie for those stories."