Sony Pictures Animation presidents Kristine Belson and Damien de Froberville have defended the studio's decision to release the breakout animated hit "KPop Demon Hunters" on Netflix rather than pursuing a theatrical debut, crediting the streaming platform with enabling the film's historic success.

"One million per cent, it had to be on Netflix," Belson told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published this week. "It was the perfect storm of that movie coming together with the power of that platform."

The animated musical, which follows a fictional K-pop girl group that secretly battles demons, has become Netflix's most-watched film ever, surpassing the 2021 action movie "Red Notice" with over 236 million views since its June 2025 premiere. The film also earned $18 million during a limited theatrical sing-along run in August 2025.

A Slow Burn Success

The executives revealed that Netflix's standard performance check-ins initially suggested modest results. According to de Froberville, the three-day call indicated the film was performing "OK." The 10-day call showed improvement: "It's starting to look interesting, especially on the rewatch," he recalled.

The turning point came about four days later, when Belson said the team received an unexpected call from Hannah Minghella, Netflix's Head of Feature Animation, who confirmed "something is going on here." To Belson, this delayed groundswell validated the streaming strategy: "It needed time, which you do not get theatrically."

Sequel Timeline in Question

Despite reports last November that "KPop Demon Hunters 2" would arrive in 2029, Belson signalled that the timeline may be overly optimistic. When asked whether a three-to-four-year turnaround was far-fetched, she "tapped her nose" to indicate the reporter's scepticism was warranted.

"There's been a lot to tend to in terms of the award campaign," Belson explained, noting that directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans have been occupied with the film's Oscar run. "After all the noise and awards and big parties with big people—yes. It'll be back to the two of them in a room."

The film has earned two Academy Award nominations for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song, following wins at the Golden Globes and Critics' Choice Awards.

Spider-Verse Spinoffs Moving Forward

During the same interview, Belson confirmed that spinoff films featuring Spider-Gwen and Spider-Punk from the "Spider-Verse" franchise are in active development. "I can't disclose that information," she said when asked about assigned writers. "However, we are currently making progress on both projects."

De Froberville compared the potential of the "KPop" sequel to the studio's acclaimed "Spider-Verse" series: "The world is so rich—the world of the demons and the pop star element, what happened to Jinu. There's so much we could expand into."