After 46 Weeks, KPop Demon Hunters’ Record-Breaking Netflix Streak Is Over (But Only In the U.S.)

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While big movies like Zootopia 2, Avatar: Fire and Ash, and Lilo & Stitch were successful in 2025, the year’s most popular film wasn’t a traditional box office hit. That title actually went to Kpop Demon Hunters, an animated movie released on Netflix last June. It quickly became a global sensation, earning hundreds of millions of views and even winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Even after the initial excitement died down and a special sing-along version played in theaters, Kpop Demon Hunters continued to be streamed by huge audiences. However, even record-breaking films eventually see their popularity decrease.

During the week of May 4th to 10th, Kpop Demon Hunters didn’t appear on the list of the top 10 movies on Netflix in the U.S. This was the first time in nearly a year (46 weeks) that the film hadn’t made the U.S. top 10. However, it remained popular internationally, landing at number five on the global top 10 list. Although interest in the movie seems to be decreasing in the United States, it’s still performing well around the world.

Kpop Demon Hunter‘s Dominant Run Ends Nearly One Year Later

It was unexpected when Kpop Demon Hunters rose to the top of Netflix’s charts, and it’s equally surprising to see it disappear from the top 10 so quickly. Just last week, it was the fifth most popular movie in the US, but it’s fallen sharply since then. The arrival of new animated films likely contributed to this. Netflix’s new family movie, Swapped, is doing very well and has become the new number one film. Another popular animated title in the top 10 from May 4th-10th was Home, a DreamWorks movie that was added back to Netflix earlier this month. Home has been in the top 10 for a total of 14 weeks, proving its lasting popularity.

It’s going to be interesting to see if Kpop Demon Hunters can stay in the top 10 globally. The film is close to being ranked among the top 10 for a full year, which would be a first-ever achievement. Last week, it received 3.6 million views and was watched for a total of 6 million hours. While it stayed ahead of films like Jennifer’s Body (with 3 million views), its lead over the lower half of the top 10 has shrunk. As we’ve seen with other charts, a film’s viewership can drop quickly, so it remains to be seen if Kpop Demon Hunters can continue its impressive run and make history.

Even if Kpop Demon Hunters drops out of the top 10 most popular movies worldwide, it won’t diminish its amazing success. In fact, it would be a good time to look back on the film’s surprising path. Originally intended for a cinema release by Sony, Netflix picked up Kpop Demon Hunters, and it quietly launched last summer. But thanks to positive buzz, the movie quickly gained a huge following and became one of Netflix’s biggest hits ever. Looking back, Sony might regret selling the film, though it’s impossible to say if it would have been as popular with a traditional release. The fact that people could easily watch it repeatedly at home clearly contributed to its record-breaking performance.

It’s no surprise that Netflix plans to expand on the success of Kpop Demon Hunters. While fans eagerly anticipate the sequel, the company is already releasing additional content like McDonald’s shorts and books this fall. The show’s unexpected popularity has created a demand for more, and Netflix needs to keep audiences engaged until Kpop Demon Hunters 2 arrives. The sequel is expected to be one of Netflix’s biggest hits when it’s released.

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2026-05-14 16:42