Will Ahn Hyo-seop’s dubbing in ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ score Oscar nod?Netflix’s animated musical “KPop Demon Hunters,” featuring actor Ahn Hyo-seop, is emerging as a dark-horse contender in next year’s Academy Awards race, foreign outlets say. In a recent roundup of animated contenders that could take up a slot in the 2025 Oscar lineup, U.S. film trade magazine Variety praised the movie as “a dynamic, color-saturated musical journey that fuses animation aesthetics with K-pop energy,” celebrating girlhood and cultural pride in a joyous festival. Co-directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans and produced by Sony Pictures Animation, the film follows a chart-topping K-pop girl group that moonlights as demon hunters. Since its release, it has entered Netflix’s Top 10 in more than 90 countries and reached No. 1 in over forty, demonstrating the global appetite for Korean pop culture. Critics have responded just as warmly. On film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 97 percent approval rating, with reviews lauding its visual flair, lively characters and inventive action sequences. The original soundtrack is also a hit. The album debutJul 10, 2025By Hankookilbo
'Pretty Crazy' to bring comedic take on human, demonic sidesFilmmaker Lee Sang-geun, known for his 2019 hit "Exit," is set to deliver a unique blend of character-driven storytelling and comedic thrills with his new film "Pretty Crazy,” promising to captivate audiences with its unusual premise and strong ensemble cast. "I'm thankful for all the love 'Exit' received. With that film, I went for a large-scale story, so this time, I wanted to create something smaller in scale but with a deeper look into characters and human nature," Lee said during a press conference at a theater in Seoul on Wednesday. The director revealed that "Pretty Crazy" was originally intended to be his debut film but was postponed in favor of "Exit." "I wanted to finally fulfill that long-cherished desire, so I reorganized everything from scratch to make this film," he added, setting a lighthearted tone for the event. "Pretty Crazy" is a comedic film about Gil-gu (Ahn Bo-hyun), a young unemployed man who takes on an unusual part-time job — keeping an eye on his neighbor, Sun-ji (Yoona), who transforms into a demon every night but can't remember anything she did the next daJul 9, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul
7 songs from 'KPop Demon Hunters' soundtrack storm Billboard Hot 100Seven songs from the soundtrack for the animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" have entered the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart this week, buoyed by the global success of the U.S.-produced film centered on Korean pop music. "Golden" by HUNTR/X, the fictional girl group featured in the movie, soared to No. 23, climbing 58 spots from its debut at No. 81 a week earlier, Billboard said Tuesday (U.S. time). "Your Idol" by rival group Saja Boys jumped 46 places to No. 31 in its second week on the chart. Other soundtrack entries include HUNTR/X's "How It's Done" at No. 42, Saja Boys' "Soda Pop" at No. 49, HUNTR/X's "What It Sounds Like" at No. 55, the duet "Free" by Rumi (HUNTR/X) and Jinwoo (Saja Boys) at No. 58, and "Takedown" by HUNTR/X at No. 64. The film's soundtrack also climbed to No. 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, up from No. 8 last week. "KPop Demon Hunters" follows HUNTR/X as they battle evil spirits to protect the human world. The film has enjoyed international popularity, topping Netflix's global top 10 movie list for two weeks before slipping to No. 2. The soundtrack's success hasJul 9, 2025By Yonhap
Lee administration restores funding to indie film fest, signaling cultural policy shiftThe Lee Jae Myung administration restored government funding for the Seoul Independent Film Festival (SIFF), reversing the sweeping budget cuts enacted under impeached former President Yoon Suk Yeol and signaling a new direction for Korea’s cultural policy. The National Assembly approved the budget restoration Friday, allocating 400 million won ($292,565) for independent film festivals — a move widely seen as both symbolic and practical in reviving the country’s creative scene. This stands in stark contrast to the Yoon government, which eliminated all SIFF funding in its 2025 budget proposal, drawing backlash from filmmakers and cultural advocates who viewed the cuts as an attack on artistic diversity and independence. Founded in 1975, SIFF is the nation’s oldest and largest platform for independent cinema, co-hosted by the Korean Film Council and the Association of Korean Independent Film and Video. In 2024, the festival’s future was thrown into jeopardy when the Yoon administration slashed support for independent and art films, prompting more than 8,000 industry professionalsJul 8, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul
'KPop Demon Hunters' soundtrack climbs to No. 3 on Billboard 200The soundtrack for the animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" rose to No. 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in its second week, driven by the global success of the U.S.-produced film featuring a fictional K-pop girl group. Billboard said Sunday (local time) that the album jumped five spots from No. 8 last week, making it the highest-charting soundtrack of 2025 to date. It also marked the highest-ranking soundtrack for an animated film since "Encanto," which spent nine weeks at No. 1 in 2022, according to the U.S. music magazine. The "KPop Demon Hunters" soundtrack includes tracks such as "Take Down" and "Golden" by HUNTR/X, the fictional girl group at the center of the film, and "Soda Pop" by rival group Saja Boys. It also features an alternate version of "Take Down" sung by Jeongyeon, Jihyo and Chaeyoung of K-pop girl group TWICE. The Billboard 200 ranks the most popular albums of the week in the United States, measured by equivalent album units, comprising physical album sales, track equivalent albums and streaming equivalent albums. During the latest tracking week, the soundtrack earned 6Jul 7, 2025By Yonhap
‘KPop Demon Hunters’ brings Korean culture to global screens in English“KPop Demon Hunters,” an English-language animated film featuring a K-pop storyline, has taken the world by storm — reaching No. 1 on Netflix’s global film rankings. While the film is a U.S. production by Sony Pictures Animation, it weaves in distinctly Korean elements, from food and language to traditional clothing and signs, introducing international audiences to Korean culture in new ways. The film follows three K-pop superstars — Rumi, Mira and Zoey — who secretly protect the world behind the scenes of their glamorous careers. As members of the fictional girl group Huntrix, the trio faces off against a villainous boy group called The Saja Boys. Their journey explores themes of friendship, growth and trust, paired with vibrant music and dynamic action sequences. According to Netflix, the global success of “KPop Demon Hunters” is proof that “a great story can transcend language, culture and format.” A Netflix representative said the film’s seamless blend of Korean traditions and modern K-pop aesthetics made it “a well-crafted animation that resonates universalJul 5, 2025By Hankookilbo
'KPop Demon Hunters' soundtrack maintains global chart momentumSongs from the original soundtrack of "KPop Demon Hunters," an American animated film centered on a fictional K-pop girl group, continued to perform strongly on global music charts this week. The track "Your Idol" by Saja Boys, another fictional idol group featured in the Netflix original film, topped Spotify's Daily Top Songs chart in the United States Friday (local time). To date, only three other K-pop tracks have reached No. 1 on the same U.S. chart: "Seven" by BTS member Jungkook, "Who" by fellow BTS member Jimin and "APT." by BLACKPINK's Rose. Among K-pop groups, BTS had held the highest ranking on the chart at No. 3 with its 2020 hit "Dynamite." Three other songs from the "KPop Demon Hunters" soundtrack also charted highly on the U.S. chart -- "Golden" placed at No. 2, "How It's Done" at No. 8 and "Soda Pop" at No. 10. "KPop Demon Hunters" is a musical animation that features the popular girl group Huntresses, who protect the human world from evil spirits. It depicts the process of the Huntresses competing for popularity with Saja Boys, a boy group born in the spirit world, and unJul 5, 2025By Yonhap
France seeks stronger film ties with Korea amid industry shiftsAs the film industry experiences profound technological and consumption shifts, France is committed to deepening cultural exchange and collaboration with key global film partners and Korea is at the top of the list. "France boasts a 130-year history in cinema," Gaetan Bruel, president of the French National Centre for Cinema (CNC), said during a press conference at the French Embassy in Seoul, Friday. The chief of the state-run institution noted how the industry is experiencing changes, such as rapidly evolving artificial intelligence (AI) technology and the shift from traditional movie theater experiences to individual consumption on mobile devices. "France excels in defensive IP (intellectual property) protection, while Korea shows strengths in development of new IP," Bruel said. "By sharing our successful models, there's much to discuss regarding IP development and co-ownership, maximizing our synergies." Bruel visited Korea to attend the ongoing Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN), which runs through July 13. He said there is a shared need for Korea and France to advJul 4, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul
James Gunn promises fantastical, character-driven ‘Superman’ rebootJames Gunn, filmmaker and co-head of DC Studios, said Thursday that his “Superman” will be a fantastical, character-driven narrative that explores the hero’s personal relationships. “I thought it was especially important to start with ‘Superman’ because he is the world's first superhero. He is DC Studios’ first superhero and such an iconic character. I thought it was fun to examine for our first outing,” Gunn told Korean reporters during an online press conference. Gunn emphasized his desire to explore new facets of the hero, drawing inspiration from his childhood comic book experiences. “When I was young and I started reading comic books, I didn't enter a world that was just Superman and a bunch of humans. It was Superman and his superhuman friends,” he said. “I wanted to re-create that feeling in cinemas, that we would have this magical other world (that) is really a fantastic alternate dimension.” Asked about the cinematic vision and the importance of the theatrical experience, Gunn said, “we are creating another universe that people can enter, and I think thJul 3, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul
‘Burning’ actor Yoo Ah-in avoids prison — will he return to the screen after drug scandal?Actor Yoo Ah-in, who had been facing charges for habitual drug use, was sentenced to a suspended prison term after a 19-month legal battle. The decision has reignited questions about his potential return to the entertainment industry. On Thursday, the Supreme Court's first division, presided over by Justice Ma Yong-joo, dismissed the prosecution's appeal and upheld a lower court's decision, which gave Yoo a suspended sentence under the Narcotics Control Act. In September last year, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Yoo to one year in prison and fined him 2 million won ($1,450), ordering his immediate detention in court on concerns he might leave the country. The prosecution, which had originally sought a four-year prison term, appealed the ruling, requesting a heavier sentence. Yoo’s legal team also appealed, citing factual errors and disproportionate sentencing. During the appellate trial in February, the court did not accept the prosecution’s arguments due to a lack of evidence. It instead reduced the original sentence to one year in prison, suspended for two years, alongJul 3, 2025By Xportsnews
