Animated Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Is Now Netflix’s Most Popular Film Ever

By Trevor Decker | August 26, 2025 | Netflix

2 mins read

Netflix has a new record holder. The animated musical KPop Demon Hunters has officially become the most popular film in the streamer’s history, surpassing Red Notice after weeks of consistently strong performance.

Since premiering on June 20, the Sony Pictures Animation feature has reached 236 million views worldwide. The most recent reporting period, covering August 18–24, added another 25.4 million views. Remarkably, this marks the third straight week the film has held steady without a noticeable drop in audience numbers. For comparison, Red Notice finished its 91-day debut run with 230 million views. KPop Demon Hunters still has 24 days left in its launch window to extend the lead.

The film follows pop idols Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, who balance their careers selling out arenas with a secret life as demon hunters. Their latest challenge comes in the form of a rival boy band revealed to be demons in disguise. The mix of fantasy storytelling, music, and pop culture has struck a chord with Netflix viewers across the globe.

A new sing-along version, released on Netflix and in theaters, is expected to push numbers even higher. The theatrical edition opened at No. 1 over the weekend with $19 million, topping Weapons at the box office. Netflix has indicated that viewership totals for the sing-along and the original film will be combined, setting the stage for even larger numbers in the next report.

On the series side, Wednesday returned to the top spot with the debut of Season 2, bringing in 13.4 million views. Season 1 also reappeared at No. 4 as many fans revisited earlier episodes ahead of the new season. The second half of Season 2 is scheduled to arrive September 3.

Other titles making an impact included the political thriller Hostage, which debuted at No. 2 with 10.8 million views, and Corey Mylchreest’s film My Oxford Year, which placed at No. 4 on the movie chart with 5.9 million views. Reality programming also had a presence, with Fit For TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser at No. 3 (8.5 million views) and America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys at No. 9 (1.9 million views). Meanwhile, Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore 2 maintained its Top 10 status for a fifth week, landing at No. 6 with 4.5 million views.

With more than three weeks left in its initial release window and the added push from the sing-along version, KPop Demon Hunters is positioned to put even more distance between itself and the competition as Netflix’s biggest film ever.