'KPop Demon Hunters' sing-along coming to Long Island theaters
"KPop Demon Hunters" has become a massive hit since premiering June 20 on Netflix. Credit: Netflix
Long Islanders young and old are getting ready for this weekend’s theatrical sing-along screenings of “KPop Demon Hunters,” the animated musical that has become a runaway hit for Netflix.
“We’re going to see it at the Regal Westbury” this coming Saturday, said Ana Santos, of East Meadow, who purchased seven tickets for family and friends as soon as they went on sale last week. “I had a good idea they were going to be either sold out or selling pretty quick,” Santos, 42, added. “At 9 in the morning, we were right there pressing the button.”
“KPop Demon Hunters” will screen in a sing-along version at cinemas across the United States and Canada on Saturday and Sunday, including Regal theaters in Deer Park, Farmingdale, Lynbrook, Ronkonkoma and Westbury, and Port Jefferson Cinemas. It’s a rare move for Netflix, and a testament to the film’s wildfire popularity. “KPop Demon Hunters” premiered June 20 and has since become Netflix’s No. 2 English-language original title, with more than 180 million views, according to the streaming platform. The soundtrack album currently ranks at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.
Amazon now sells “KPop Demon Hunter” costumes and T-shirts. YouTubers are demonstrating how to make custom dolls based on characters from the film. And United Skates of America in Seaford will hold a “glow skate” night tied to the movie on Friday.
“It’s a brand-new addiction overnight,” said Mike D’Alto, 40, a college English professor who lives in Seaford. Since first hearing about the movie from an adult friend, D’Alto and his wife have watched it twice and his 8-year-old daughter, Melanie, has become a repeat viewer. The songs are “stupid catchy,” he noted. “The music is playing in our house basically every day and sometimes in the car, too.”
Produced by Sony Pictures Animation, “KPop Demon Hunters” features few if any household names. Nevertheless, its savvy blend of anime-style visuals, Disney-esque storytelling and Korean pop tunes has turned it into a cross-generational hit. The story centers on the K-pop girl group Huntrix, whose three members — Rumi, Mira and Zoey — use their uplifting songs to keep the world safe from an army of soul-eating demons. But when the evil lord Gwi-Ma puts together his own K-pop band — the demonic (yet kinda cute) Saja Boys — a musical battle for the fate of humanity ensues. The original songs come from a variety of artists, including K-pop veterans such as Jihyo, leader of the group Twice; and Kevin Woo, formerly of the band U-KISS. Animation veterans Maggie Kang and Chris Applehans (both of “Rise of the Guardians”) directed and helped write the screenplay.
“At first, I didn’t know anything about it, and kids kept coming in and requesting the songs,” said Frances Cuomo Perpero, whose Rockville Centre play space, Little Doll Studio, will soon be holding “KPop Demon Hunter” theme days. “You don’t have this too often where things like this get so popular,” Perpero said. “I’ve been telling all the moms: Buy the costumes now, because I already see the prices going up for Halloween.”
Tickets and showtimes for the sing-along screenings can be found at singkpopdemonhunters.com.
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