Are KPop Demon Hunters’ Oscar Chances In Trouble?

From a certain perspective, this article is unimaginable. KPop Demon Hunters is one of the defining movie hits of the year, dropping on Netflix with little to no expectations and rising to become the streamer’s most-watched original film ever. As of writing, it has spent 23 weeks in their global top 10, and still most recently came in at number five. Its breakout hit song, “Golden,” is ubiquitous; its characters made for some of the most popular Halloween costumes, with supply far outstripping demand. How does that not walk away with some Oscars?

For now, it’s the presumed leader in two categories: Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song. The latter has always looked like a contested race, though after Wicked: For Good‘s new songs failed to impress, it’s perhaps less crowded than it initially seemed. But KPop Demon Hunters has been running away with the former.

Until this weekend, that is. Disney’s Zootopia 2 has released in theaters for Thanksgiving, after what seemed like a relatively subdued campaign that can be a sign of a studio’s lack of confidence in a film’s quality – the review embargo lifted just this Tuesday, for example. But those reviews were stellar. It currently sits at 94% on Rotten Tomatoes with over 100 counted reviews, making Walt Disney Animation Studios’ highest-reviewed release since Encanto (which won Best Animated Feature at the 2022 Academy Awards).

So, KPop has a real competitor – but should it actually be worried about its chances come Oscars day?

Netflix Might Be Making KPop Demon Hunters’ Oscars Chances Worse

So far, KPop Demon Hunters‘ campaign has (quite smartly) focused on the enthusiasm around its music. The three musicians who provided the singing voices for HUNTR/X, the film’s fictional girl group, have been making real-life appearances under the band’s moniker. Even if Sinners has a real chance in Best Original Song, that film is a multicategory, Best Picture contender, and there will be other places to award it. Especially with the full-court press, “Golden” should be able to pull this one out.

Unless Netflix gets in its own way. The dominant streamer is currently among a handful of bids to buy Warner Bros., a situation that has all of Hollywood holding its breath. No scenario in which another major studio gets swallowed up is really a good one, but compared to Skydance (which owns Paramount) and Comcast (which owns Universal), those who believe in theatrical moviegoing see Netflix as a worst-case scenario. Claims that they would keep WB’s movies in theaters aren’t doing much to wash away years of insisting cinemas aren’t their model.

Netflix has a tricky history with the Oscars as it is. Though they’ve won some big categories (including Best Animated Feature for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio), they’ve never won Best Picture, despite multiple years in which their films were perceived frontrunners. They have a suspicious pattern of being widely nominated and coming away with few victories, often attributed to how their stance on theaters continues to alienate a certain segment of the filmmaking community. (Just this week, James Cameron argued on The Town that Netflix shouldn’t even be eligible for the Academy Awards with their current release strategy.)

If they succeed in purchasing WB, they’ll be the Hollywood villains of the year, and it’s hard to see that not impacting their films’ Oscars chances. Especially where there’s a compelling alternative. Zootopia 2, which represents a return-to-form for a historical giant in the Best Animated Feature category after a few-year skid, could easily be that in this year’s race.

Through no fault of its own, KPop Demon Hunters could find itself falling behind in the race for its biggest category. If that starts to happen, emphasizing the Sony Pictures Animation of it all might not be a bad idea.