“It’s exciting to see the eagerness from partners around the world”: Netflix’s Alpana Virani on the powerful appeal of KPop Demon Hunters

Alpana, KPop Demon Hunters has connected with fans in a big way. What is it about the brand that you feel has resonated so strongly?
KPop Demon Hunters is our most popular film of all time, and it’s easy to see why. It’s visually stunning, action-packed and taps into universal themes that cut across generations and borders: love, friendship, community, loneliness, grief, figuring out who you are and where you belong. The story, the humour and the relationships are instantly relatable, whether you’re discovering the film for the first time, or watching along for the 100th time.

There’s also a real accessibility to animation that helps it travel across age groups and countries, and Korean pop culture has never been more global than it is today. According to Bunjang, since the release of KPop Demon Hunters, there’s been a 78% surge in cross‑border purchases for K‑pop consumer products, which underlines just how global and connected this fandom is.

Tying it all together is the music. The songs have taken on a life of their own, driving – and selling out – sing‑alongs, fan covers and dance routines, including Novak Djokovic!

Not every popular movie becomes a ‘brand’. How soon did it become clear there was big potential here?
We saw very quickly that the film was taking on a life of its own: in just over 90 days it had over 325 million views worldwide. At the same time, the soundtrack reached #1 album on Billboard’s 200 Albums chart and has been streamed 8.3 billion times globally. The film’s single “Golden” became the longest-running #1 hit by a girl group on the Billboard Hot 100 in the 21st century.

Add to that the fact that all five main characters were the top five most searched for Halloween costumes this year – you start to feel that you’re not just looking at a hit film, but a true cultural phenomenon.

And how important has speed-to-market been in your collaborations with the likes of Hasbro, Mattel and Funko?
Speed‑to‑market is of course important, because when fans fall in love with a world and its characters, they want ways to bring that into their everyday lives as soon as possible. At the same time, KPop Demon Hunters is beloved, so we have to be thoughtful and treat it with respect.

Netflix approached licensing partners and retailers 24 months ahead of the film’s release, and while there was interest, it was soft at the time. Original IP tends to be a more attractive bet for licensees and retailers, but when you get lightning in a bottle like KPop Demon Hunters that resonates with so many key audiences, the sky’s the limit!

For the toys category specifically, it’s a complex process – from product design to it being on the shelves – that takes time. Within that reality, we’ve moved as fast as possible and importantly, with the right partners and this first-of-its-kind collaboration with Mattel and Hasbro means fans can finally get their hands on the best dolls, games, and merchandise they’ve been not-so-subtly demanding on every social platform known to humanity.

It’s exciting to see the eagerness from partners around the world, and we’re working with them to bring a variety of products to market as quickly as possible.

This year will see the brand land in toys in a big way. Why do you feel the brand is an especially good fit for toys and games?
You have this instantly iconic trio in HUNTR/X, each with a clear personality, visual identity and role in the group, set inside a rich, supernatural world packed with concerts, costumes, demons and big set‑piece battles. It’s clearly a great fit – there is so much potential and lots to work with.

Fans don’t just want to watch it, they want to live it. Our partnerships with Mattel and Hasbro will introduce a full portfolio of toys, action figures, collectibles, feature plush, games, role‑play products and much more that they can engage with and like the film, come back to time and time again.

Last question! Do you feel the Saja Boys and the wider cast of characters have just as much potential to go down a storm in toys as HUNTR/X?
You’ll have to just wait and see! But what I can tell you is that Derpy is already making quite the name for himself!