KPop Demon Hunters has officially exited Netflix’s top 10 movies chart in the U.S., closing out a run that few animated films in recent memory have matched. For the week ending May 10, the Sony Animation and Netflix collaboration finally lost its top 10 standing after 46 consecutive weeks on the chart. Indeed, the KPop Demon Hunters Netflix top 10 streak began with the film’s explosive debut in June 2025 and held firm through an extraordinary period of cultural dominance that stretched well into 2026.
The titles that displaced it reflect a strong week of new streaming arrivals. Animated body-swapping comedy Swapped, smart octopus drama Remarkably Bright Creatures, and Charlize Theron action film Apex all contributed to pushing the demon-slaying trio out of the U.S. rankings. Nevertheless, losing the domestic top 10 spot does not tell the full story of where this franchise currently stands.
Still a global force
Despite the U.S. exit, KPop Demon Hunters remains a formidable presence on the global stage. The animated feature continues its 47-week streak in Netflix’s top 10 English-language movies for worldwide audiences, sitting comfortably at No. 5 globally for the most recent tracking week. Moreover, that kind of sustained international performance is exceptionally rare for any title, animated or otherwise, and speaks to the film’s broad cross-cultural appeal.
The story follows demon-slaying K-pop trio Rumi, Zoey, and Mira voiced by Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami respectively — and it resonated with audiences far beyond what most industry observers anticipated at launch.
How KPop Demon Hunters became a cultural phenomenon
The film’s journey from streaming debut to full-blown cultural moment unfolded rapidly throughout 2025. Beyond its Netflix dominance, the animated feature earned a brief but successful theatrical run. Additionally, Rumi, Zoey, and Mira made their way into Epic Games’ Fortnite, bringing the franchise to an entirely new audience of gamers worldwide.
The film’s singing actors also became genuine public figures in their own right. Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami appeared on Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, further cementing the property’s reach beyond the streaming platform. Furthermore, the soundtrack performed strongly on Billboard charts, making KPop Demon Hunters one of the rare animated properties to make a meaningful impact on the music industry simultaneously.
2026 has kept the momentum alive
While 2025 was undeniably the franchise’s breakout year, 2026 has continued to build on that foundation in meaningful ways. Merchandise partnerships have expanded significantly, with American Girl Dolls and Lego sets both entering the market. A collaboration with McDonald’s brought the characters to an even wider mainstream audience. Most notably, the film earned Grammy wins and secured a place in the prestigious Criterion Collection, joining titles such as Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio and Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman a remarkable distinction for an animated streaming release.
What comes next for the franchise
The exit from the U.S. top 10 is unlikely to be permanent. Netflix has confirmed a multiyear writing and directing partnership with directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans for future animated projects. That deal almost certainly points toward KPop Demon Hunters 2, though a sequel may not arrive until 2029. When it does, however, the original film will almost certainly re-enter the charts as audiences revisit it ahead of the follow-up.
For now, KPop Demon Hunters remains available to stream exclusively on Netflix and based on its global numbers, plenty of people are still watching.
Source: Polygon
Leave a Reply