Netflix Animation’s ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Stars Get Ready for Their Close-Ups in Oscars FYC Screenings

The first batch of awards season contenders to receive digital Oscars consideration screenings has been revealed, with Netflix/Sony Pictures Animation’s music-fueled hit KPop Demon Hunters among the titles. The first set of digital screeners will be distributed to the 11,000-plus Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences members on Friday, August 15.

Last week, KPop Demon Hunters officially became Netflix’s biggest animated film to date, having ruled the English Film charts since its launch on June 20. As of August 5, it ranks No. 4 on the platform’s all-time most popular films list.

Directed by Maggie Kang (head of story, The LEGO Ninjago Movie) and Chris Appelhans (Wish Dragon), the candy-colored CG adventure centers on a trio of Kpop superstars (voiced by Arden Cho, May Hong and Ji-young Yoo) who moonlight as demon hunters as they face their biggest enemy yet — an irresistible rival boy band of demons in disguise (led by Business Proposal star Ahn Hyo-seop).

In addition to the film’s success, the original songs crafted for the band of heroines HUNTR/X and their demonic rivals Saja Boys have been blowing up the global Billboard charts. HUNTR/X’s “Golden” has hit No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 and No. 2 on the Hot 100, surpassing the Frozen earworm “Let It Go,” which reached No. 5, and making the fictional group the first all-female K-pop act to reach the Top 5 in Hot 100’s history. All seven of the film’s original songs have charted on this list, making KPop Demon Hunters a title to watch in the Original Song Oscar race as well as Best Animated Feature.

The other Aug. 15 FYC screening launches are all live action: The Ugly Stepsister (IFC/Shudder), The Luckiest Man in America (IFC/Sapan), Becoming Led Zeppelin (Sony Pictures Classics), Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight (Sony Pictures Classics) and Hello Beautiful (Hamzeh Mystique Films). Studios pay $20,000 (alternate rates available for lower budget productions) to post their titles to the digital screening room, and are permitted to create exclusive content for the “Scene at the Academy” content section.

New films will debut every Friday in the lead up to Oscar voting.

[Source: Variety]