‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Creator Maggie Kang on the Global Hit No One Saw Coming

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Feb 20, 2026

Maggie Kang, a Korean-Canadian animator and director behind KPop Demon Hunters, reflects on making a modern Korean story and her path from Lego and Kung Fu Panda projects to a global hit. She describes fan sing-alongs, blending Korean and Western influences, the songwriting process, anime-inspired design choices, theatrical vs streaming experiences, and hints about a possible sequel.

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ANECDOTE

Surprise Sing-Along Realization

Maggie Kang described walking into a surprise sing-along screening at JFK after a trip to Korea and seeing a wall of screaming fans in Huntrix outfits.
That moment made her realize how widely the film had reached and how diverse its audience was.

INSIGHT

Streaming Enabled Rapid Global Reach

Maggie credits Netflix's global simultaneous release and wide dubbing for the film's rapid worldwide reach.
She believes that streaming enabled the movie to find massive, diverse audiences quickly.

ANECDOTE

Making The Film Because No One Did

Maggie waited years for a Korean-rooted project and when none appeared she decided to make one herself.
She stepped into directing after building confidence in her storytelling and filmmaking skills.

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“KPop Demon Hunters” is the brainchild of Korean-Canadian animator Maggie Kang. It’s Netflix’s biggest-ever film and follows Rumi, Mira and Zoey, members of the girl band Huntrix, as they battle to save the world from dark forces.

As you’ll hear, Kang grew up loving Korean pop music long before it was globally cool and forged a Hollywood career on films including “The Lego Ninjago Movie” and “Kung Fu Panda 3.” In this conversation with Mishal Husain, Kang explains how she had always hoped a story about Korea would one day come her way. But it never did, so she came up with her own.

Kang is in the middle of a life-changing moment. Her movie has already scored wins at the Golden Globes and the Grammys, and now all eyes are on the Oscars. The extraordinary thing is that no one expected “KPop Demon Hunters” to be such a smash hit. Husain asks Kang what it’s been like adjusting to all the attention, and of course whether there’s a sequel in the works.

03:06 - “A global phenomenon”
04:17 - The screaming fans
05:01 - The movie theater screenings
06:49 - Pitching “KPop Demon Hunters”
09:27 - Living between two cultures
12:04 - Growing up as an “outsider”
16:34 - Kang’s first animation book
17:16 - “I liked to draw”
18:21 - Recording the voiceover, over and over
20:11 - The story of “Golden”
21:39 - Rumi, Mira and Zoey in “Golden”
23:00 - Waiting for “the tingles”
25:25 - “We kinda worried it was a little cheesy”
27:27 - Helping the world find Korean culture
29:30 - Choosing the title for a “kooky” movie
34:20 - A message from Kang to the fans
34:48 - “There’s a sequel, surely?”
35:14 - Live action “KPop Demon Hunters”?
37:01 - “I’m still very grounded”
37:22 - Diving back into the sequel?
38:00 - “Wow! You are going to the Oscars!”

Read this interview with Mishal’s notes on Bloomberg Weekend: www.bloomberg.com/latest/weekend-interview

Contact The Mishal Husain Show mishalshow@bloomberg.net

Visit https://www.bloomberg.com/mishal

Contact The Mishal Husain Show mishalshow@bloomberg.net

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