Ever since K-pop Demon Hunters took the world by storm, the question of a live-action remake has been a constant topic of discussion. However, amid the ongoing controversy surrounding live-action adaptations, creator and co-director Maggie Kang has withdrawn her previous interest in the idea.
Will K-Pop Demon Hunters Get a Live-Action Version? Why Creator Said No
While creator Kang had previously expressed interest and curiosity about what it's like to view a live-action K-Pop Demon Hunters movie, she has changed her mind about the whole development.
In a recent interview with the BBC, Kang shared, "It's really hard to imagine these characters in a live-action world. It would feel too grounded. So, totally it wouldn't work for me."
Meanwhile, her co-director, Chris Appelhans, added in defense of animation: "One of the great things about animation is that you make these composites of impossibly great attributes."
Appelhans referenced that Rumo could be a "goofy comedian" while "singing and doing a spinning back-kick a second later" then "freefall through the sky."
"The joy of animation is how far you can push and elevate what's possible," Appelhans continued, "I remember they adapted a lot of different animes and oftentimes, it just feels a little stilted."
Needless to say, fans are in favor of not translating a successful animated movie into a live-action adaptation, especially after witnessing how differently their receptions are. That said, K-Pop Demon Hunters is essentially stepping down from the usual pattern, which makes it a good thing!
How K-Pop Demon Hunters' Rejection Breaks the Animation Success Pattern
Successful animation films almost always lead to a live-action adaptation after busting numbers at the box office. The House of Mouse had drawn up this habit since the 1994 live remake of The Jungle Book, and went on to add Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and Maleficent, to mention a few.
But this rejection of having a live-action adaptation means K-pop Demon Hunters is practically breaking from the shackles that are the pressure of being translated into a different form of entertainment, which is almost always unnecessary to begin with.
There have always been debates about whether or not the animation and the live-action should be connected or reflect one another, but in this case, KDH is having none of it. The streaming, box office, and Billboard charts' success is only Huntrix's success alone. Why should it need a live-action version?
K-pop Demon Hunters 2 is in talks of developing a sequel, but there is no official release date yet.
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