KPop Demon Hunters Wins Oscar, Prolonging Disney's Losing Streak

KPop Demon Hunters won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2026, beating out Disney's Zootopia 2 and Pixar's Elio, and marking the fourth year since 2021 that Disney has failed to win in this category. From 1995 to 2021, Disney secured 15 wins; however, recent years have seen Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio (2023), Hayao Miyazaki's The Boy and the Heron (2024), and the independent Latvian film Flow (2025) take home the prize instead. The film, a production from either Sony Pictures or Netflix, saw its soundtrack top Billboard's charts in 2025, with songs from the film also dominating the US Spotify charts. The success of KPop Demon Hunters extended to other awards shows, earning two Golden Globes (Best Animated Movie and Best Original Tune) and two Critics Choice Awards, and receiving considerable attention at the Grammys. "Golden," from the film, became the first K-pop song to win an Oscar. Co-director and writer Maggie Kang, along with producer Michelle Wong, became the first individuals of South Korean descent to win in the animated feature category.

KPop Demon Hunters Sequel in Development at Netflix amid Disney's Continued Animation Losses

Despite Disney's recent Oscar losses, which include Turning Red, Elemental, Inside Out 2, Elio, and Zootopia 2, the studio maintains strong box office performance, with Zootopia 2 being its highest-grossing film of late. Meanwhile, fans of KPop Demon Hunters can look forward to a sequel, which is already in development at Netflix, where the first film is currently available to stream.

In Case You Missed It

While we're on the topic of cinematic marvels, you won't want to miss Jonathan Dubinski's latest piece over at Players for Life. Published just this past February 24th, his article 'Most-Watched Netflix Animated Film Nominated for Oscars to Arrive on Blu-ray' delves into the exciting news that Netflix's Demon Hunters is set for a rare physical release through Criterion Collection in both Blu-ray and 4K formats. This isn't just great news for collectors, but also for those who've been eager to enjoy this action-packed, K-pop infused animated film without an active Netflix subscription. Check it out here Most-Watched Netflix Animated Film Nominated for Oscars to Arrive on Blu-ray. In other gaming news, our colleague Carlos Mendoza dives into a chilling beta invitation from PlayStation. In his latest piece, "PlayStation Invites Players to Test New Game" (published on Feb 24), Mendoza explores Guerrilla Games' unexpected focus shift with the closed beta of Horizon Hunters Gathering. Fans across US and Europe enrolled in the PlayStation Beta program are invited to test cooperative hunting modes between Feb 27 - March 1. Head over there now to get your questions answered directly from @playhorizonhg on Twitter, and stay tuned for more details as they unfold! PlayStation Invites Players to Test New Game. While we've been discussing the best in cinema from years past, our colleague Carlos Mendoza has just published a fascinating recap of this year's Oscars. In 'See the Winners of Oscar 2026', Carlos takes us through the glitz and glamour of Hollywood's biggest night, revealing Amy Madigan as the first winner for her standout performance in 'The Hour of the Wolf'. Hosted once again by Conan O'Brien, the ceremony was filled with surprises and tributes. You can check it out right here See the Winners of Oscar 2026.

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