New Delhi | September 1, 2025

The global dominance of anime has reached a new peak as KPop Demon Hunters has officially become the most-watched Netflix film of all time. In doing so, the animated musical has toppled some of Hollywood’s biggest names—Dwayne Johnson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ryan Reynolds, and even the Russo Brothers—proving that the power hierarchy in streaming entertainment is shifting dramatically.

A Record-Breaking Run

Released in June this year, KPop Demon Hunters has quickly risen to the top of Netflix’s charts. According to Tudum, the streamer’s official data arm, the film has garnered a jaw-dropping 236 million views in just three months. This achievement dethroned Netflix’s earlier champion, Red Notice—a star-studded action thriller featuring Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot—which previously held the crown with 231 million views.

While KPop Demon Hunters leads in total views, it still trails slightly in overall minutes watched due to its shorter runtime of 100 minutes. The anime has racked up 23 billion minutes viewed, behind Red Notice at 27 billion and Leonardo DiCaprio’s satirical hit Don’t Look Up with 25 billion.

Beating Hollywood Blockbusters
Netflix calculates rankings based on the number of views a film accumulates in its first 91 days of release. By this yardstick, KPop Demon Hunters has outpaced not only Red Notice but also several other major productions, including:

Carry-On (172 million views)
The Adam Project (157 million views)
Bird Box (157 million views)
The Gray Man (139 million views), which remains Netflix’s most expensive original production to date.

This makes KPop Demon Hunters not just an anime milestone but a global entertainment phenomenon.

About the Film

KPop Demon Hunters is an American animated musical that follows the story of Huntr/x, a fictional K-pop girl group that lives double lives as demon hunters. Combining the glamour of K-pop with the thrill of fantasy action, the film has struck a chord with audiences across age groups and geographies.

Critics and fans alike have praised the movie for its stunning animation, witty writing, engaging plot, and, most importantly, its chart-topping music. The soundtrack has become a sensation in its own right, making history as the first-ever film album to place four songs simultaneously in the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10. Multiple tracks have even climbed to the coveted No. 1 spot, cementing the film’s cultural footprint far beyond Netflix.

The Global Phenomenon Continues

The success of KPop Demon Hunters marks a significant cultural shift. Once considered a niche genre, anime is now at the forefront of mainstream global entertainment. Its ability to merge K-pop’s mass appeal with high-energy storytelling has set new benchmarks for streaming success.

With a sequel already in development, Netflix is betting big on the franchise. If the first film’s record-breaking numbers are any indication, the upcoming installment may very well redefine streaming milestones once again.

As Hollywood blockbusters struggle to maintain dominance in the streaming era, the rise of KPop Demon Hunters signals one clear message: the future of global cinema may just sing, dance, and fight demons—all at once.