By Woo Jae-yeon
Details surrounding the highly anticipated sequel remain under wraps. “I would like to keep it confidential, no spoilers at all,” said director Maggie Kang at a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday, celebrating the film’s recent Oscar wins.
The animated sensation, *KPop Demon Hunters*, triumphed at the 98th Academy Awards, securing victories for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song (“Golden”).
“We have a big idea, but I don’t know the details yet,” Kang added, keeping future plans closely guarded.
Co-director Chris Appelhans, on his first visit to Korea since the Netflix film’s June 20 release, emphasized that the core principles driving the sequel will stay true to the original.
“Part of what inspires us working on the sequel is we want to do things that we did the first time, not in the sense of repeating but in the sense of surprising,” he said. “Doing things that are unexpected, that are breaking rules, that are pushing the boundaries.”
He further stressed that authenticity will remain central to the film.
“Authenticity is the freedom of the soul to salt the movie on every level, from the girls’ characters to the music to the mythology.”
Addressing the scope of the sequel, Appelhans acknowledged the team’s “duty to make the biggest, most spectacular movie” possible within the available budget, which is reportedly larger than the original’s due to its massive success.
But, he cautioned: “At the end of the day, it still goes back to the story — the story and the soul of the story. And you have to find that.”
Appelhans also discussed the profound cultural influence of his Korean wife, describing it as “eye-opening,” and stated that the lead character, Rumi, “embodies” the pride, strength, and unity of the Korean people.
“I think Rumi’s story is about somebody who has to suffer a lot, and through coming through that, it makes them really strong,” the American filmmaker said. “My understanding and experience of Korean culture and Korean people is that they’ve been through a lot, and there’s a pride and a strength, a sense of unity forged through history. I was glad that Rumi’s story embodies something of that.”
Netflix confirmed early last month that a sequel to *KPop Demon Hunters*, their most-watched movie ever, is in production.
“I feel immense pride as a Korean filmmaker that the audience wants more from this Korean story and our Korean characters,” Kang stated previously. “There’s so much more to this world we have built, and I’m excited to show you. This is only the beginning.”
Further details are yet to be released.
