On with Kara Swisher

Episode: The Story Behind Netflix’s Most Popular Film Ever
Date: February 23, 2026
Guests: Chris Applehans & Maggie Kang (Directors of "K Pop Demon Hunters")
Main Theme:
Kara Swisher sits down with Maggie Kang and Chris Applehans, co-directors of “K Pop Demon Hunters,” to explore how the animated movie became Netflix’s most popular film ever. The conversation covers the surprises behind the film's global success, its unique blend of K-pop, Korean culture, and demon-hunting, the power of originality in Hollywood, and the changing business (and technology) of animated filmmaking.

Episode Overview

Kara introduces "K Pop Demon Hunters" as an unprecedented success:

• Most-watched Netflix title ever, with ~500 million views
• Four songs in the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10, including “Golden”
• Awards history: Grammys, Golden Globes, Critics Choice, two Oscar nominations
• The movie's themes of originality, representation, and creative risk in modern Hollywood

Quote (Kara):

“I think the message Hollywood should take away from their success is that originality and creativity still win out over everything else... My kids love this movie—it has supplanted Frozen and Moana in our house.” [02:50]

Key Discussion Points

1. The Surprise of Viral, Global Success

• Maggie Kang:

  • The team had high hopes but no expectation of this magnitude; success powered by passionate fandom and social media content creation.
  • Netflix’s global platform enabled instant availability to nearly 100 countries.
    Quote (Maggie):

  “The movie was carried by the fans... there’s this power of this generation that is content creators, that is able to spread the word.” [05:13]

• Chris Applehans:

  • Originality drove word-of-mouth; mash-up of influences from manga, anime, K-dramas, and classic cinema.
  • Fan-generated content on TikTok and Instagram had more impact than official marketing.
    Quote (Chris):

  “The marketing of word of mouth is as powerful as any formal campaign... There’s more skepticism when it’s a corporate account than when it’s made by a fan.” [07:20]

2. Direct-to-Streaming vs. Theatrical Release

• Released first on Netflix due to COVID; later had a short, enthusiastic theatrical run.
• The theatrical experience, after streaming success, felt more like “going to a concert”—a communal, euphoric event.
  Quote (Maggie):

“People watched it, loved it, and then wanted to experience it with people.” [09:03]

• Chris: Collective experiences (like concerts & movies) fulfill a basic human need for connection.
  Quote (Chris):

“There is a real desire, culturally, for collective experiences... For me as a non-churchgoing person, I love this feeling of being connected by a story and connected by music.” [09:46]

3. Story Themes: Identity, Acceptance, and Tone

• Kara Swisher: The film’s core (Rumi’s secret demon identity) resonates with anyone who feels “othered” or fears being found out—parallels to coming out stories and immigrant experiences.
• Maggie Kang: Sought to balance heavy themes of self-acceptance, addiction, being “the other,” with lightness and comedy. Inspired by Korean filmmakers (Bong Joon Ho & Park Chan-wook) who blend comic and dramatic tones.
  Quote (Maggie):

“We wanted to challenge ourselves... The more comic you can go on one end, the more dramatic you can go on the other.” [13:28]

• Chris: Draws from personal stories of queer friends in conservative environments; the movie’s key is “truth and spectacle.”
  Quote (Chris):

“I had several friends... going through very similar experiences to Rumi—being told the way you are is not worthy of love.” [14:27]

4. Crafting “Golden,” the Movie's Hit Song

• The last—most difficult—track to write.
• Needed to serve as the “I Want” song, giving backstory and establishing each group member’s motivation, but in an authentic pop style rather than Broadway.
  Quote (Maggie):

“Rather than show [the origins], the song lets us sprinkle in a little bit of the backstory... It becomes this pop lyric that is universal, but also serves the story.” [18:27]

• Influences: Surprising inspiration from hip-hop like Notorious B.I.G.’s “Juicy” and Drake/Eminem’s “Forever,” emphasizing storytelling within music.
  Quote (Chris):

“We never thought about it as a children’s movie... The pivotal emotional thing the song helps you understand is they [Huntrix] only have each other.” [19:01]

5. Infusing Korean Culture

• Maggie: Sought to make “the most Korean thing ever,” basing mythology on mudang (traditional shamans); included specific references to Korean food, fashion, makeup, and eras.
  Quote (Maggie):

  “Through every aspect, we tried to infuse Korean culture... If you were making a sci-fi movie, everything is seen through a sci-fi lens. We did that through a Korean lens.” [26:12]

• Chris: Connected deeply due to (1) musical background—using music as a central, magical element and (2) personal connection—married to a Korean-American novelist who inspired aspects of the Huntrix characters.
  Quote (Chris):

  “The proposal I floated was: could this movie be about the power of music—the way it transcends barriers and connects us?” [29:36]

6. Animation Style: East Meets West

• Blending Western 3D CGI (like Pixar) with Eastern 2D anime flourishes.
• Inspirations include “Cowboy Bebop,” “Sailor Moon,” and the tonal range of Korean dramas and Bong Joon Ho.
  Quote (Chris):

“Visual style is a product of the range we wanted out of the characters, driven by who they are and the tone we wanted.” [34:51]

7. The Business of Original Movies

• Pitching “K Pop Demon Hunters” was hard with no comparables. Success owed much to executive champions who encouraged risk (Sony’s Kristine Belson, Sony Music’s Spring Aspers).

• Quote (Maggie):

  “[Kristine Belson] was just such a huge champion… and they were supportive in making this thing not just ‘kiddie’, but a bit more adult. We always called it a hard PG-12.” [40:42]

• Film’s budget: Grew from a planned $25M to about $100M as ambitions soared and scope expanded, but conviction in the original concept won out.

• Recommendations for Hollywood: True creative courage and executive championing is required; focus on targeted audiences allows breakout, then outward growth. Quote (Chris):

“It takes some courage, and that’s rare. [Executives] need to act like humans in those roles, not just data analysis.” [45:43]

8. The Role of the Story Artist & Creative Control

• Both directors are veteran storyboard artists.
• The role is to visually invent, iterate, and ‘test’ the film before animation—key to keeping creative control and purpose. Quote (Maggie):

“You draw the movie... You’re the first person to determine what shot goes for that line of dialogue or moment.” [47:37]

• They describe moments where outside feedback (and a bad test screening) nearly derailed the film’s vision, but ultimately returned to what they loved.
  Quote (Maggie):

“We just decided… we’ll put something out that we love and believe in. If people don’t like it, at least we know we did our part.” [48:54]

9. Training, AI, & the Future of Animation

• Concerned about the loss of traditional training/mentoring and the encroachment of AI.
• The rigor (and friction) of collaboration, experimentation, and communal review is slipping; fear that AI tools may erode the “wind tunnel” of creative development.
  Quote (Chris):

“Young story artists are talented, but lack that ruthless sense of how I’m using the audience’s time… Intentional writing gives you a purposeful performance—and that can’t be AI’d.” [50:50]

• Quote (Maggie):

  “For me, with AI... there isn’t that relationship and tension with your work. Lack of friction is not a great thing.” [54:51]

10. Merchandise and Sequels

• Merch was not planned due to uncertainty about success; now scrambling, but must be careful not to feel ‘inauthentic’ to older or core fans. Quote (Chris):

  “Currently, they are frantically loading the cannon of merch to fire it soon… With our audience, we feel like it has to be more careful.” [57:11]

• Sequel in early development, with hints it will stay focused on existing characters but push further creatively; likely not released until 2030.
  Quote (Maggie):

“There’s more—we could take it further, and I think we’re gonna push it a lot further... It’s given me the courage to do that.” [61:11]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Kara, on the importance of original stories:

"Originality and creativity still win out over everything else. The endless amount of sequels, the endless amount of brain-dead AI crap, does not take the place of a great story." [02:40]

• Chris, on word-of-mouth fandom:

“The marketing of word of mouth is as powerful as any formal campaign… there’s a different relationship when it’s made by a fan.” [07:20]

• Maggie, on blending tones:

“The more comic you can go on one end, the more dramatic you can go on the other.” [13:48]

• Chris, on finding conviction:

“You need people to act like humans in those [executive] roles, not just data analysis.” [45:43]

• Maggie, on targeting audiences:

“Studios need to realize… when you appeal to everybody, you appeal to no one.” [46:53]

• Kara, joking on merchandising:

“Frozen mozzarella sticks… every time I see them I text Bob Iger and say, ‘fuck you, once again.’” [57:10]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:20 — Opening, Kara sets the stage; film’s cultural/critical impact
• 04:40 — Directors Maggie Kang & Chris Applehans join
• 05:13 — The movie’s surprise global success, powered by online fandom
• 08:06 — The impact of streaming-first vs. theatrical and collective audience experiences
• 11:26 — Rumi’s secret & the film’s heavy themes, balanced with humor
• 16:02 — The writing process and unlocking “Golden,” the emotional hit song
• 18:42 — Hip-hop influences on the soundtrack
• 25:12 — Infusing Korean culture, myth, and style throughout production
• 34:51 — Blending Eastern and Western animation techniques
• 40:42 — Selling the film as an original in a risk-averse industry
• 44:58 — How to protect original vision in the Hollywood system
• 47:37 — The role and power of the storyboard artist
• 50:35 — The future of the animation industry: lost training, the AI threat
• 56:39 — The missed merchandise opportunity and scramble to catch up
• 59:39 — Will there be a sequel? How do you follow up a phenomenon?
• 61:11 — The directors reflect on their next creative risks and hopes for the franchise

Takeaways for Listeners

• “K Pop Demon Hunters” is a testament to the power of original storytelling, cross-cultural creativity, and the modern fandom-driven era of streaming entertainment.
• The film’s blend of deep personal themes and bright spectacle—alongside world-building rooted in authentic Korean tradition—set it apart in a crowded media landscape.
• Its surprise success (and the candid behind-the-scenes journey) serves as both inspiration and a business lesson for an industry on the cusp of transformation by technology, changing audiences, and a hunger for stories that break the mold.