Creators describe how ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ grew from a skate-deck drawing to a Netflix smash

The filmmakers, songwriters and actors behind KPop Demon Hunters recounted how the animated film grew from a single character sketch into the most-watched movie in Netflix history. In interviews from New York, Los Angeles and Seoul, the team said the project is now a front-runner in several Oscar categories, including best original song for the anthem “Golden.” Director Maggie Kang said the heroine Rumi began as a painting on the bottom of a skateboard and that the idea evolved over about nine years.

Kang pitched the concept in 2018 and quickly landed a development deal; Chris Appelhans joined as co-director months later. The filmmakers tied K-pop to Korean mudang shamanism — using song and dance as a hidden identity for demon hunters — and repeatedly revised music, design and choreography to marry pop spectacle with cultural references.

Production included a research trip to Korea, a sustained effort to cast internationally known Korean talent and a focused music search. Songwriter and Rumi’s singing voice EJAE joined around 2020, incorporated pansori techniques into a Huntr/x mantra, and said the team produced multiple drafts of “Golden” before settling on the final version.

The filmmakers and cast described careful design choices, from couture-inspired makeup to fashion and choreography, intended to feel both authentically Korean and competitive with live K-pop.

Key Topics

Culture, Kpop Demon Hunters, Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans, Ejae, Golden