How Toronto’s Maggie Kang created the Netflix smash hit ‘KPop Demon Hunters’

Growing as a Korean immigrant in the 1990s, Toronto, Maggie Kang maintained his love for K-Pop for herself.

“I remember hiding my K-pop albums from my white friends because they thought it was strange and silly,” Kang recalled, who moved from Seoul to Canada at five years and grew up in the North York area.

“But I was like, ‘no, this is great.”

In a neighborhood with one other Koreans, he rarely saw his culture reflected around him.

Now, she is helping to amplify it worldwide.

Your animated film debut KPOP demon hunters – Produced by Sony Pictures Animation and launched by Netflix – it has become a great global success, attracting mass transmission numbers, while their songs exceed posters lists.

Last week, Netflix said that the musical fantasy, which follows a group of K-Pop girls that Moonlights like Demon Slayers, was the first of his original films in reaching a new audience peak in his fifth week. His soundtrack also became the best picture of the year, reaching its maximum point in number 2 in Billboard 200 in mid -July.

“It’s quite wild. You never know what the reaction will be, in reality, when you’re doing these things,” Kang said in a video call from Los Angeles.

“We had a lot of hope that he would find his audience. It seems he has done it and really clung to her. Now it is spreading to other areas that we did not believe they were going to arrive. We are very happy, excited and overwhelmed.”

Producers include known K-Pop collaborators

Written and co -directed by Kang, KPOP demon hunters It focuses on the K-Pop Trío Escr/X-pronounced “Huntrix” -which fight for the demons at night and dominate the day lists. When the members of the Mira band, Zoey and Rumi face the Demon boy the saja Boys band, Rumi is forced to face their true identity.

“I think the issues of hiding parts of you and being afraid to show your true being to people, these days are more relevant than ever,” Kang reflected.

“We also tend to hide behind our people online, so I think even young children can resonate with that.”

Kang studied animation at Sheridan College and was recruited for Dreamworks in his third year, working as a stories artist in films that include 2011’s about 2011 Cat in boots and 2016 Kung fu panda 3.

When the opportunity came to direct his own movie for Sony, he knew he wanted to take advantage of his roots.

He considered exploring Korean mythology and demonology, but also had another concept that involved K-Pop.

“My husband said:” Why don’t you meet them? “, Said.

“Interestingly, it really fits: the idea of using music to fight demons naturally tied to Korean shamanism.”

The animation production was largely managed by Sony Pictures Imageworks Studios in Vancouver and Montreal, who played a key role in the elaboration of vibrant and high octane images.

Kang said that she and co -director Chris Appelhans not only wanted the music of her fictitious groups to be part of the soundtrack, she had to be deeply integrated into history.

He also had to slap.

“We knew that music had to stay on its own and be able to compete with all pop songs, because K-Pop is very good,” he said.

They enlisted a powerful team of producers, including the co -founder of Black Label Teddy Park, known for shaping the sounds of Blackpink and Taeyang; BTS Lindgren, Stephen Kirk and Jenna Andrews; And Ian Eisendrath, who worked on Broadway’s success “See from Away”.

“Our songs had to be Bops, but they also had to tell a story,” Kang said.

“That added another layer of challenges to song composition.”

His work hit all the right notes. This month, “Golden” by Rober/X became the first song of a fictional act to overcome Billboard Global 200, overcoming summer successes as “Ordinary” by Alex Warren and “Daisies” by Justin Bieber.

Meanwhile, Saja Boys’ your idol “arrived at No. 1 on the United States Spotify list, surpassing BTS as the act of male best brand K-Pop in the history of the platform.

“We needed the music to be the graphics table, but now seeing what happens is like” Whoa, what is happening? “Says Kang.

“I don’t think I really thought it was going to happen.”

Kang says that “definitely” would consider expanding the KPOP demon hunters universe.

“There are many unanswered questions and many ideas not developed in the film that we had to omit due to duration. I know that fans really want the most complete stories of Mira and Zoey, and we put them in a moment, but ultimately, this movie was a story about Rumi, so we had to take it out,” says Kang.

“We have a lot to show.”

But for now, you are taking a moment to soak up: love, milestones and cultural change that once I did not think I would never see.

“I feel very proud, just see that the Korean culture is at the center of attention. I never thought this would happen,” she says.

“Like someone who grew up when Korea was not so great, seeing him get so far is really surprising.”