Oscars, here comes KPop Demon Hunters: Netflix’s most-watched film hits the big leagues

Netflix’s smash-hit animated phenomenon KPop Demon Hunters just got a golden ticket moment: it’s officially eligible for the animated feature category at the 98th Academy Awards. The Academy released its lists on Friday of films in contention across animated, documentary, and international feature categories, and the K-pop juggernaut made the cut.

Though it conquered Netflix streams, the film also hit theaters in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco back in June—enough to meet the Academy’s quirky rules for Oscar eligibility. Unfortunately for UK fans, its theatrical run there wasn’t enough to qualify for the BAFTAs.

Joining KPop Demon Hunters in the Oscar race are other animated contenders like Neon’s Arco, Disney’s Elio and Zootopia 2, GKids’ Little Amélie or the Character of Rain, Netflix’s In Your Dreams, and Crunchyroll/Sony’s Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle and Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc. Notably missing? China’s blockbuster Ne Zha 2.

The numbers don’t lie: Netflix claims KPop Demon Hunters is its most-watched film of all time, racking up over 541 million hours viewed globally. Its soundtrack is dominating 2025 charts, with eight songs landing on the Billboard Hot 100. And let’s not forget the theaters: the August release is estimated to have pulled in around $18 million (enough to top charts if Netflix actually reported box office numbers), plus a Halloween weekend re-release. Not too shabby for a Netflix animated feature—especially after the streaming giant’s first Oscar win in 2022 with Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.

Fans will have to wait until January 22 to see if KPop Demon Hunters actually scores an animated feature nomination. The original song category is another arena where the film could shine, with hits like “Golden” in the mix.

Meanwhile, the Academy has also listed 201 documentaries and 86 international features for Oscar contention, including films from Norway, Spain, Brazil, France, Tunisia, and the U.K., plus the AP/PBS Frontline co-production 2000 Meters to Andriivka, eligible in both categories. A shortlist of 10 films for each will drop December 16, so the race is officially on.

Inputs from the Associated Press