A sequel to KPop Demon Hunters is officially in development.
The animated musical film was released on Netflix in June last year, and thanks to word-of-mouth and the popularity of its soundtrack, it has become a cultural phenomenon and the streaming platform's most-watched movie of all time.
A sequel has been widely discussed and expected, however, Netflix executives officially announced it was in the works on Thursday, with original directors Maggie Kang and Chris Applehans back at the helm.
The sequel will be the first project from their exclusive multi-year writing and directing partnership for animation at Netflix.
"I feel immense pride as a Korean filmmaker that the audience wants more from this Korean story and our Korean characters," Kang said in a statement. "There's so much more to this world we have built, and I'm excited to show you. This is only the beginning."
Appelhans added, "These characters are like family to us, their world has become our second home. 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."
KPop Demon Hunters, which took seven years to make, follows the K-pop girl group Huntr/x, who lead double lives as demon hunters. Arden Cho, May Hong and Ji-young Yoo voice lead characters Rumi, Mira and Zoey, while EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami provide their singing voices.
The news comes several weeks after Netflix bosses revealed that the film had broken their platform's records with more than 480 million views over half a year.
But it hasn't just been a huge hit with audiences - KPop Demon Hunters has also been a big player this awards season. It has already won Best Animated Motion Picture and Best Original Song for Golden at the Golden Globes and a Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media, among other honours.
It is widely expected to win Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song at the Oscars on Sunday.
Thanks to the success of the soundtrack, EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami have been performing Golden on TV and at awards shows for several months. They will be performing it once again at this weekend's Academy Awards.
No further details about the sequel have been released, such as the cast or release date.
