Netflix, Please Don’t Make A Live-Action ‘Kpop Demon Hunters’ Movie

So, Kpop Demon Hunters just showed everyone how it’s done, done, done! It’s officially the biggest movie in Netflix’s history.

Yes, it dethroned that awful Red Notice – starring Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot – that everyone hate-watched, simultaneously encouraging the streaming giant to make more mediocre films starring A-list actors as punishment.

Here’s the thing: no one expected Kpop Demon Hunters to be as big as it has been. Sony must be kicking itself for selling the rights and not releasing this in theaters, while Netflix didn’t exactly do much to market it either. Mind you, that’s standard practice for Netflix. The average marketing plan is to kiss the video file, wish it a good journey, and hope it finds its audience in the mess known as an algorithm. Word of mouth catapulted this film into the pop culture zeitgeist – not only making it a streaming mega-hit but also seeing four of its songs land on the Billboard charts.

Sony and Netflix are all in on ‘Kpop Demon Hunters’

At this point, everyone knows Kpop Demon Hunters 2 is a take-it-to-the-bank certainty. As per The Hollywood Reporter, it’s all about cutting deals now, but there’s no way any party is about to leave money on the table here. Kpop Demon Hunters is about to be turned into a brand – a franchise that you can’t escape. Whether the sequel is released only on Netflix, or receives a limited theater release through Sony, remains uncertain, but they’ll figure something out here.

In fact, an article from TheWrap suggests that Netflix views it as an opportunity to create its own Frozen. You can see why, since the whole singalong value of Kpop Demon Hunters is undeniable. Also, Huntr/x’s Rumi, Mira, and Zoey are likeable protagonists, so the audience wants to see (and hear) more from them.

In the same article from TheWrap, some of the plans mooted for Kpop Demon Hunters include further sequels, a show, musical, and live-action remake. While Netflix denies a live-action adaptation at the time of writing, no one buys it. Sure, the animated sequels are likely to be priority number one right now, but someone high up at Netflix HQ is already plotting and planning on how to squeeze the juice from the Kpop Demon Hunters name and make a live-action movie. And you know what? It’s a terrible idea!

Netflix’s anime-to-live-action adaptation track record isn’t great

Stylistically, Kpop Demon Hunters shares a lot of common traits with anime, especially in terms of the action and portrayal of character emotions. Anime also proves incredibly difficult to adapt to the live-action world, because of the nuances and storytelling mechanisms that are unique to the animation style. Netflix also doesn’t have the best track record of live-action adaptations of anime – especially the ones helmed by western showrunners, directors, and production companies.

Two major examples come to mind instantly. Cowboy Bebop had an outstanding cast, including John Cho and Daniella Pineda, but it received criticism from all corners about how it changed the source material and became flash rather than substance. It lasted a single season before the plug was pulled. And let’s not even talk about 2017’s Death Note, because that one still stings the eyes with its rotten stench.

The only adaptation that seems to have been universally praised is One Piece. So, yeah, if the team working on that can handle a live-action Kpop Demon Hunters movie, maybe it wouldn’t be too bad.

‘Kpop Demon Hunters’ doesn’t need to be live action

Having said that, not everything needs to be a live-action movie. In the case of Kpop Demon Hunters, it more than works in its current format. Yes, you can make sequels. Yes, you can make shows. Yes, you can make musicals. Heck, even manga and comic books if you want. But it doesn’t need a live-action movie at all.

As seen in recent times with Disney’s live-action slate, there isn’t a demand for it, and animation should never be seen as the gateway to a live-action retelling of a story. The animated medium provides its own unique storytelling vehicle that’s often difficult to replicate. It’s about telling the story in the best possible medium – not trying to fit a square peg in a round hole for box office results.

Kpop Demon Hunters hums perfectly in the animation world, and that’s where it should stand. Let’s appreciate it for what it is, and not try to turn it into absolutely everything. Yeah, Netflix and Sony will probably ignore this plea and do their own thing, but don’t say they weren’t warned when it turns into a stinker!