A drone show featuring characters and South Korean landmarks from the animated musical "KPop Demon Hunters" lit up the night sky over Seoul on Sunday, drawing crowds who watched as the film’s imagery was projected across the capital by some 1,200 drones.
The free event, reported by The Korea Herald, displayed fan-favorite characters including Rumi towering over attendees in videos shared online, prompting audible gasps and applause. Organizers used the coordinated drones to recreate scenes and symbols from the movie, which has become a global cultural phenomenon since its theatrical release this summer and subsequent debut on Netflix in late June.
The animated musical follows HUNTR/X, a K-pop trio who moonlight as demon hunters, and centers on members Rumi, Mira and Zooey as they try to protect their fans from a rival boy band of demons disguised as humans. The film gave Netflix what reports described as its first-ever box-office hit after its global theatrical run and later surged on the streaming platform to become the service’s most-watched original film.
Fans have extended the movie’s reach beyond screens, posting original artwork, covers, cosplay and choreographies tied to the soundtrack online. The official soundtrack debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Soundtracks chart and reached No. 8 on the all-genre Billboard 200, reflecting strong cross-generational appeal that reviewers and social media activity have highlighted.
The theatrical experience also drew visible family audiences this summer, with reports of parents and children singing along to the film’s numbers in cinemas. The movie’s cultural footprint has extended into other public moments: tennis star Novak Djokovic, after a U.S. Open victory last week, briefly danced to music from the film that he said was a favorite of his 8-year-old daughter.
Organizers and participating fans described the drone show as a celebration of the film’s popularity in South Korea and abroad. Video and images of the display circulated widely on social media, underscoring how the title has become a transmedia success spanning theaters, streaming, music charts and fan-driven content.
Industry analysts have noted that the film’s crossover from theatrical box office to streaming dominance and soundtrack success is notable for its breadth of audience engagement, though box-office and streaming platforms have different commercial metrics and release strategies. For now, the Seoul drone show served as a public marker of the movie’s resonance with audiences and its influence on contemporary pop culture.