KPOP DEMON HUNTERS IS GOING UP, UP, UP TO THE GOLDEN GLOBES

The most-watched English language movie in Netflix history has been a popular Halloween costume, a ubiquitous birthday party theme and the soundtrack to millions of households with kids under 10. Now, KPop Demon Hunters is an awards-season darling, nominated in three separate categories for the 2026 Golden Globe Awards: best animated feature film, cinematic and box office achievement, and best original song for “Golden,” the Huntrix track that has spent 23 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart. Related: How director Domee Shi turned Toronto into a pastel Pixar wonderland This is, of course, a huge deal for the movie’s creator and director Maggie Kang, who spent her childhood as a Korean immigrant in Toronto trying to hide her love of all things K-pop. That was long before the explosion of BTS and the mainstreaming of South Korean culture in North America over the last few years. Even still, the popularity of Demon Hunters is a phenomenon unto itself: a massive commercial success with a 95 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and a kind of generational touchpoint not seen since Frozen. The success of Demon Hunters sets up a friendly rivalry with fellow Toronto writer-director Domee Shi, whose film Elio is also in the running for best animated feature. Shi’s Bao won an Oscar for best animated short back in 2019. Related: Feud Watch—James Cameron doesn’t think Frankenstein should qualify for an Oscar In other local Golden Globes news, Catherine O’Hara got a best supporting TV actress nomination for her work on The Studio. But the bigger development may be the snubbing of Kevin O’Leary, the business tycoon-turned-thespian who has been getting big buzz for his first-ever acting role in Marty Supreme. The movie scored a Globe nomination for best motion picture and star Timothée Chalamet got a nod for best performance by a male actor, but there was nothing for O’Leary.

2025-12-08T20:24:46Z