Sony Pictures Animation’s KPop Demon Hunters is headed to the Criterion Collection, an unexpected but telling vote of confidence for one of the most culturally visible animated features of the past eight months.
Directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, the Netflix release blends K-pop musical spectacle with supernatural action and culturally specific mythos, and its graphic stylization helped it break through an increasingly crowded animation landscape and build a fanbase well beyond typical animation circles. It’s also Netflix’s most successful film of all time.
Variety first reported the Criterion news, noting that KPop Demon Hunters will be released alongside Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming Frankenstein, another Netflix Original. While Criterion has gradually expanded its scope to include more contemporary titles, the addition of a recent, streaming-first animated film remains a rare and hugely welcome occurrence. Release dates and details about special features have not yet been announced.
For physical media enthusiasts, the move is particularly meaningful. Netflix has historically been reluctant to license most of its titles for physical releases. A selection by Criterion, which is traditionally very careful in curating its catalog, shows the organization’s confidence in the film’s place in history. A Criterion release also ensures the highest technical standards of the time and, typically, some cool extra features and supplemental materials.
It’s also another reminder of just how far KPop Demon Hunters has traveled from a lightly promoted and largely unknown Netflix original last June to a bona fide cultural touchstone, one that is now positioned for long-term preservation rather than algorithmic obscurity.