It’s official: HUNTERS is coming back. Netflix has confirmed that the follow-up to the hit film K-Pop Demon Hunters is in development, with Sony Pictures Animation returning to co-produce. This exciting announcement follows the original movie’s big win at the 2026 Oscars, making it one of the biggest cultural hits in Netflix’s history.
The Original Creative Team Is Staying Put
Directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans have officially signed on to write and direct the follow-up. According to Netflix Tudum, the pair entered an exclusive multi-year deal with the streamer, making KPop Demon Hunters a flagship franchise for Netflix animation going forward.
“This is only the beginning,” teased Director Maggie Kang during the announcement.
The first film was all about the group’s high-stakes debut and hidden identities. This time, the team promises a story that is “bigger and bolder.” We can expect to see new corners of the demon world and more of the complicated sisterhood that defines the group.
The 2029 Release Timeline: Why the Long Wait?
The wait won’t be short: the sequel has a tentative 2029 release window, with scripting expected to begin once awards season wraps. High-end animation on this scale is a multi-year process. The original film itself took roughly seven years to write, direct, and produce. And the results are awesome. “Golden” has already made history as the first K-pop song to win a Grammy and a Golden Globe. So a similarly long runway for the sequel isn’t unusual, even if it tests fan patience in the meantime.
Oscar Night: How It Actually Went
The sequel news broke just days before the 98th Academy Awards on March 15, 2026. And the original film delivered on every level. KPop Demon Hunters won Best Animated Feature Film, beating out Pixar’s Elio, DreamWorks’ The Wild Robot, Disney’s Zootopia 2, and two other nominees. “Golden” also won Best Original Song.
The wins marked a genuinely historic night for Korean creatives. Maggie Kang became the first filmmaker of South Korean descent to win Best Animated Feature. Additionally, “Golden” co-writers EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, and the song’s Korean songwriting team became the first South Koreans to win Best Original Song. Accepting the award, Kang said, “For those of you who look like me, I’m so sorry that it took us so long to see us in a movie like this. This is for Korea and for Koreans everywhere.”
The HUNTR/X Phenomenon
The fictional group Huntrix has achieved real-world stardom well beyond the film itself. With voices by Arden Cho, May Hong, and Ji-young Yoo, “Golden” became a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit. Furthermore, the trio performed the song live at the Oscars ceremony.
How Fans are Reacting on Social Media
Fans have been split between excitement and impatience. Many are thrilled that the original creative team is returning. The 2029 wait has been the biggest talking point, with several comparing the gap to Frozen’s own multi-year sequel turnaround and predicting it’ll pay off just the same.
4 years is crazy
They can keep up interest by releasing some songs in the wait.
It blew up in a way that reminded me of Frozen, and Frozen 2 still made a lot of cash, so I personally would not be surprised if KPop Demon Hunters 2 is successful too.
I can NOT wait 3 years.
A main part of the K-pop Demon Hunters universe is them singing and all that, so they would have to make songs for this miniseries.
