K-Pop Demon Hunters revealed to be ineligible for BAFTA Film Awards despite huge success

At the start of every year, you can normally make some educated guesses as to which upcoming films will really a strike a chord with viewers – but there are always a few under-the-radar releases that come out of seemingly nowhere to become genuine pop culture sensations.

Step forward K-Pop Demon Hunters, a film that undoubtedly fits that description this year. After previously being sold off by Sony Pictures, the film was added to Netflix back in June and almost instantly became a global hit – leading to a later sing-a-long theatrical release and talk of various spin-offs and sequels.

That success has seen it emerge as a possible awards contender – but there is one ceremony where it definitely won't be picking up any gongs: the BAFTA Film Awards.

That's because the film has been deemed ineligible for consideration due to the fact that it was not given a theatrical run ahead of its streaming debut in June. Per Deadline, Netflix had appealed for exemption due to the fact that the film eventually played in UK cinemas two months later – on 23rd and 24th August – before further screenings on Halloween weekend, but it is understood that their request has not been approved.

The BAFTA eligibility rules state that titles must have "at least 10 commercial screenings in UK for at least seven days in aggregate" – and so KPop Demon Hunters does not fulfil those conditions.

Interestingly, the film has been deemed eligible for inclusion at the Oscars – so it could yet pick up some major awards.

And whichever way you look at it, the film has been a major success. It became the most-watched film ever on Netflix, sold out its limited theatrical screenings in minutes and its soundtrack has spawned three UK top 40 singles. And that's in addition to generally dominating the cultural conversation for months.

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As you'll probably be aware of by now, the fantasy film follows the members of a Korean girlband called Huntr/x who moonlight as formidable demon hunters, finding themselves on the tail of their rival boy band, the Saja Boys.

Last week, fans were given an update on the sequel with the news that Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation are eyeing a 2029 launch. Arden Cho, May Hong and Ji-young Yoo are all expected to reprise their roles as K-pop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey – let's just hope it proves worth the four-year wait.

K-Pop Demon Hunters is available to stream on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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