Oscar-winning 'KPop Demon Hunters' soundtrack climbs Billboard chartsNetflix's animation sensation "KPop Demon Hunters," which won two Oscars earlier this week, saw its original soundtrack climb on both the main singles and albums charts of the U.S. Billboard, the latest charts showed Wednesday. "Golden" from the soundtrack rose one place to No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, logging its 38th consecutive week on the chart. Another hit song from the soundtrack, "How It's Done," held steady at No. 86. The film's soundtrack album climbed two spots to No. 11 on the Billboard 200, also extending its chart run to 38 weeks. But the latest ranking reflected data from March 6 to 12, before the Academy Awards took place. Elsewhere on the Billboard 200, K-pop girl group BLACKPINK's new EP, "Deadline," fell from No. 8 to No. 41 in its second week. Boy group Enhypen's "The Sin: Vanish" ranked No. 61, Katseye's "Beautiful Chaos" at No. 116 and Ateez's "Golden Hour: Part. 4" at No. 192. Pop star Harry Styles claimed the top spot on the Billboard 200 with his new album, "Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally," while 12 of its tracks entered the Hot 100, including "American GiMar 18, 2026By Yonhap
‘KPop Demon Hunters’ directors spark buzz with instant noodles at OscarsEven on the night of Hollywood’s most prestigious award show, “KPop Demon Hunters” managed to deliver a scene no one expected, as its directors casually snacked on raw instant noodles during the ceremony, sending social media into a frenzy. Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, co-directors of Netflix’s hit animated film, drew attention after behind-the-scenes photos from the 98th Academy Awards surfaced online. The images were shared on Monday (local time) by Korean American author Maurene Goo, Appelhans’ wife. The ceremony took place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. An unusual item in Appelhan's hand drew online attention — a packet of instant noodles featuring Mira, a character from “KPop Demon Hunters.” After returning to his seat following the film’s win for Best Animated Feature, Appelhans opened the ramen packet, crushed the raw noodles, and began eating them with chopsticks — an unexpected “mukbang” moment in the middle of the Oscars. Kang, seated next to him, was also seen snacking before putting the noodles down to applaud during the ceremony, with the moMar 17, 2026By Xportsnews
Oscar winner EJAE of ‘KPop Demon Hunters' goes viral for ‘gukbap’ after ceremonyProducer-singer EJAE is winning hearts online — not just for her historic Oscars moment, but for how she chose to celebrate it. Instead of a glitzy Hollywood after-party, the Korean American artist marked the night with a humble bowl of “gukbap” (rice in soup), sparking a wave of reactions across social media. On Tuesday, EJAE shared photos on her personal account, writing, "Love you guys so much." In the images, she is seen embracing fellow performers Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami, who joined her on stage at the 98th Academy Awards to perform the song "Golden" from Netflix’s global hit “KPop Demon Hunters.” EJAE proudly held up her gold Oscar trophy — but it was her next post that truly caught fans’ attention. The singer uploaded a photo of herself enjoying a steaming bowl the traditional Korean rice soup topped generously with green onions. The contrast between Hollywood glamour and a down-to-earth Korean meal quickly went viral, with many fans praising EJAE for "staying true to her roots" and calling the moment "the most Korean celebration possible." The ceremony took place SMar 17, 2026By Xportsnews
'The King’s Warden': The golden formula for Korean cinema has changed“The King’s Warden” crossed the 10-million admissions threshold on March 6 and by last Friday had reached 12.2 million, prompting some industry watchers to predict it could finish with as many as 15 million viewers. The milestone made it the first Korean film in two years to draw 10 million moviegoers, after “Exhuma” in 2024, offering a much-needed boost to an industry still mired in a prolonged downturn. Still, it would be too much to suggest that one more 10-million-viewer title can pull Korean cinema out of its slump. Theater attendance has yet to fully recover from the sharp drop that followed the COVID-19 pandemic. Since “The Roundup” in 2022, six films, including “The King’s Warden,” have cleared the 10-million mark. The problem is not the absence of megahits. Such blockbusters can provide a jolt, like a defibrillator to a failing heart, but they cannot by themselves restore lasting health. For that, the industry needs a broader base of solid mid-tier hits. In that respect, “The King’s Warden” has also highlighted the changing contours of the Korean film mMar 16, 2026By Hankookilbo
Busan International Film Festival receives 'A-list' statusThe Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) officially gained A-list festival accreditation from a regulatory body of global film festivals, cementing its status as a leader in global cinema alongside prestigious events like Cannes, Berlin and Venice. On Monday, the organizers of the nation’s largest film festival said BIFF was named an A-list film festival in the newly reorganized accreditation system of the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF). BIFF Director Jung Han-seok expressed his gratitude regarding the selection. “This is a joyful result that shows the rapidly growing global influence of the Busan International Film Festival,” Jung said. “It is especially meaningful to be officially recognized by a highly credible organization that evaluates major film festivals around the world. We will continue to strive to further elevate our global status as an A-list film festival.” Established in 1933, the FIAPF is a prominent organization that validates the credibility of international film festivals worldwide. The organization recently overhauled its tMar 16, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Prequel trilogy for 'Inside Men' to be producedA prequel story to the hit Korean political thriller "Inside Men" will be developed into a film trilogy, production house Hive Media announced Monday. The original film, directed by Woo Min-ho and starring Lee Byung-hun, Cho Seung-woo and Baek Yoon-sik, was based on a webtoon of the same name by Yoon Tae-ho. It drew more than 7 million moviegoers upon its release in 2015, becoming one of the country's biggest box-office successes that year. The upcoming trilogy will serve as a prequel set in the late 1980s, preceding the events of the first film which took place in the 2010s. According to the studio, it will trace the origins of the powerful cartel of politicians, business tycoons, prosecutors and gangsters depicted in the movie as dominating modern Korea. The project will be co-directed by Kim Min-beom and Kim Jin-seok. Kim Min-beom previously served as assistant director on "12.12: The Day" (2023) and "Flu" (2013), while Kim Jin-seok adapted the Disney+ original series "Made in Korea." Hive Media said the first and second installments will be filmed simultaneously this year, with the thMar 16, 2026By Yonhap
‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Oscar win sparks debate after acceptance speech is cut offThe animated Netflix hit “KPop Demon Hunters” celebrated a historic night at the Academy Awards — but its victory was quickly overshadowed by controversy after an acceptance speech was abruptly cut short on stage. The film’s original song “Golden” won Best Original Song at the 98th Academy Awards, held Sunday at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The ceremony was hosted by Conan O'Brien. The film also won Best Animated Feature, giving “KPop Demon Hunters” two Oscars in a single night. However, the celebratory moment sparked online debate after the acceptance speech for “Golden” was interrupted by the play-off music typically used to signal speakers to wrap up. EJAE, who was the singing voice for Rumi of the fictional idol group HuntRix in the film, spoke first on behalf of the performers. “Thank you so much to the Academy,” EJAE said. “Growing up, people made fun of me for liking K-pop. Now everyone is singing our song, and in all of the Korean lyrics. I’m so proud.” EJAE appeared emotional as she delivered her speech. But controversy erupted when producer Lee YMar 16, 2026By Xportsnews
'KPop Demon Hunters’ wins big at Oscars with 2 awardsNetflix animated feature “KPop Demon Hunters” secured wins for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song at the 98th Academy Awards in Los Angeles, Sunday (local time). The Oscar followed the Korean culture-inspired animation’s earlier wins at the Golden Globes in January and Grammy Awards in February. “KPop Demon Hunters” beat out competitors like “Arco” “Elio,” “Little Amelie or the Character of Rain” and “Zootopia 2” in the animation race, and tracks from “Diane Warren: Relentless,” “Sinners,” “Viva Verdi!” and “Train Dreams” in the song category. The awards highlighted the global impact of the movie, which has smashed Netflix viewership records with more than 500 million cumulative views since its release last June. The recognition for both its storytelling and the original track “Golden” underscored the power of cross-cultural collaboration in today’s film industry. Directed by Korean Canadian filmmaker Maggie Kang, the action-fantasy film follows K-pop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey of girl band Huntrix, who also secretly protect tMar 16, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
‘KPop Demon Hunters’ eyes Oscars following Golden Globe, Grammy wins“KPop Demon Hunters,” the Netflix animated feature that sparked a massive cultural phenomenon and has seen record-breaking viewers numbers since its release last year, is now at the center of international attention as fans wait to see if it can continue its historic winning streak at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday evening (local time). The film has been nominated in two major categories at this year's Oscars — the Best Animated Feature and the Best Original Song. In the animated feature race, the film is in competition with "Arco," "Elio," "Little Amélie or the Character of Rain" and "Zootopia 2." Meanwhile, the film’s hit track "Golden" is vying for the award for original song trophy against tunes from "Dianne Warren: Relentless," "Sinners," "Viva Verdi!" and "Train Dreams." Directed by Korean-Canadian filmmaker Maggie Kang, the action-fantasy film follows three K-pop superstars — Rumi, Mira and Zoey — who also secretly protect the world from evil spirits. The animated feature has achieved worldwide success, becoming the most-watched title in Netflix history with over 5Mar 15, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
'KPop Demon Hunters' to return for sequelNetflix's record-breaking animated feature "KPop Demon Hunters" will get a sequel, the streaming company said Friday. Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, who directed the original, will return to helm the sequel to Netflix's most popular film of all time, according to the company. "I feel immense pride as a Korean filmmaker that the audience wants more from this Korean story and our Korean characters," Kang was quoted as saying. "There's so much more to this world we have built, and I'm excited to show you. This is only the beginning." Since the film, produced by Sony Pictures Animation, premiered in June 2025, it has garnered more than 500 million views. "We're excited to write their next chapter, challenge them and watch them evolve -- and continue pushing the boundaries of how music, animation and story can come together," Appelhans said of the sequel. The film has received Oscar nominations for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for "Golden." The award ceremony will be held Sunday (U.S. time).Mar 13, 2026By Yonhap
