Huntr/x at the Oscars? 'KPop Demon Hunters’ is officially eligible for the Academy Awards

“KPop Demon Hunters” has moved one step closer to Oscar glory. The Netflix smash hit is now officially among the 35 animated films eligible for the best animated feature category at the 98th Academy Awards.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Friday the full lists of films eligible across the animated, documentary, and international feature categories for next year’s ceremony.

KPop Demon Hunters is now eligible for the Oscars!

Although the film rose to popularity on Netflix, it also completed a qualifying theatrical release in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco this June, meeting the Academy’s eligibility rules. Its theatrical run in the U.K., however, did not meet the criteria for BAFTA consideration.

Other contenders in the Oscars’ animated feature lineup include 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 titles like “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle” and “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc.” Notably absent from the list is the Chinese hit “Ne Zha 2.”

Netflix has touted “KPop Demon Hunters” as its most-watched film ever, racking up over 541 million viewing hours worldwide. Its soundtrack has dominated 2025, with eight tracks charting on the Billboard Hot 100.

The film also drew attention at the box office in August, earning an estimated $18 million. Netflix previously won its first animated feature Oscar in 2022 with “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.”

The film follows an all-female K-pop group named Huntr/x, featuring superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey who and also moonlight as demon hunters to protect their fans. The movie combines K-pop culture with Korean mythology and the plot also involves their battle against a rival demon boy band, the Saja Boys.

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