Sony Animation bosses defend decision to release KPop Demon Hunters on Netflix: "It needed time, which you do not get theatrically"

Would KPop Demon Hunters be the huge success it is without Netflix? Probably not, according to Sony Pictures Animation presidents Kristine Belson and Damien de Froberville.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the pair defended their decision to release the animated film on the streamer instead of theatres, arguing that "it needed time" to reach viewers. "One million percent, it had to be on Netflix," said Belson. "It was the perfect storm of that movie coming together with the power of that platform."

According to the co-president of the studio, with Netflix releases, there are three "check-ins" – three days, 10 days and 28 days after release. During the first couple of weeks, things were going moderately well, but then it blew up. "Normally you wouldn’t have heard from them again between the 10-day and the 28-day. But then we got a call from Hannah Minghella [Head of Feature Animation and Family Film at Netflix] on day 14 or something. 'Something is going on here.' So, it needed time, which you do not get theatrically," Belson explained.

The film first landed on Netflix on June 20 last year, with its massive success leading to a limited theatrical release and a sing-along version, both released in cinemas and on streaming. Since then, it has amassed more than half-a-billion views on streaming and grossed over $24 million in cinemas.

Much like Sony's team, Netflix's co-CEO Ted Sarandos argued that the movie would not have been such a huge success without the streamer. Sarandos believes that the anime feature's big win at the box office is "because it was released on Netflix first" and that "allowed the film to build momentum", adding that "superfans" ultimately made the film a hit by driving "the recommendation engine."

Next up for HUNTR/X is the Academy Awards ceremony, where the film could win two awards, for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for Golden. Additionally, the trio's voices EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami will perform on stage during the ceremony on March 15.

For more, check out the complete list of Oscars 2026 nominations, and see our list of all upcoming movies this year.