
? 《K-POP:獵魔女團》(KPop Demon Hunters)成為網飛(Netflix)名副其實的現象級爆款,本周以2.36億次觀看量刷新平臺歷史最高紀錄,同時憑借四首歌曲同時躋身《公告牌》(Billboard)榜單前十,創下歷史紀錄。為打造這部現象級影片,索尼影視動畫公司(Sony Pictures Animation,以下簡稱索尼動畫)投入1億美元,但受疫情時期發行協議限制,據稱僅能獲得2000萬美元的收益。對索尼而言,無疑錯失了巨大機遇——如今網飛掌控著這個潛在價值高達數十億美元的IP。
網飛手握現象級爆款,其火爆程度遠超所有人預期。動畫電影《K-POP:獵魔女團》講述了K-pop女團兼獵魔者的故事,該片正式成為網飛有史以來觀看次數最多的影片,觀看量達2.36億次,打破了此前由《紅色通緝令》(Red Notice)保持的2.309億次觀看量的紀錄。這部影片自6月20日首映以來,僅用67天便達成這一里程碑,成為網飛票房榜中攀升速度最快的影片之一。
《K-POP:獵魔女團》不僅刷新了流媒體電影的播放紀錄:其原聲帶中的四首歌曲同時躋身公告牌百強單曲榜前十,這在該榜單67年歷史中尚屬首次。(具體排名如下:《Golden》位居榜首,《Your Idol》位列第四,《Soda Pop》位居第五,《How It's Done》躋身第十名,您要是好奇的話。)上周末,網飛嘗試在院線放映該片的“跟唱版”,盡管觀眾在家中即可在線觀看,但在約1700家影院的放映中,該片仍斬獲了約1800萬至2000萬美元的票房。
影片的巨大成功促使網飛與索尼已就續集事宜展開初步洽談。對網飛而言,這代表著其多年來一直追求的“現象級動畫系列”夢想照進現實;但對影片制作方索尼動畫而言,情況則更為復雜——這或許代表著好萊塢近年來最重大的“機遇錯失”案例之一。
《K-POP:獵魔女團》:現象級作品的誕生歷程
據報道,索尼動畫為打造《K-POP:獵魔女團》投入了約1億美元制作預算,此舉是對K-Pop文化與超自然冒險題材全球吸引力的一次重大押注。該片由瑪吉·康(Maggie Kang)與克里斯·艾伯翰斯(Chris Appelhans)聯合執導,講述了虛構女團Huntr/X在維持偶像事業的同時對抗惡魔的故事,片中還設置了名為Saja Boys的競爭男團——后續劇情走向不難想象。
截至目前,這場創意豪賭以令人意想不到的方式大獲成功。影片原聲帶不僅完美契合劇情,還掀起真正的音樂現象級熱潮:其中《Golden》成為第八首登頂公告牌百強單曲榜的K-Pop歌曲,這是自迪士尼電影《魔法滿屋》(Encanto)主題曲《We Don’t Talk About Bruno》以來,首支榮登榜首的動畫電影歌曲,也是首支由女藝人演唱的冠軍單曲。
截至目前,影片熱度仍居高不下:《K-POP:獵魔女團》已連續10周穩居網飛電影榜榜首,僅在最新統計的一周內就新增了2540萬次觀看量。這種長尾熱度對網飛原創作品而言極為罕見,更何況該片還是一部源自不知名IP的冷門動畫電影。
索尼的協議及獲得的收益
顯然,《K-POP:獵魔女團》為網飛帶來了巨額收益。按常理,索尼作為這部電影的制作方,本應斬獲同樣豐厚的回報,對吧?然而事實并非如此。盡管投入約1億美元打造這部全球現象級作品,索尼動畫預計只能從這個潛在價值高達數十億美元的《K-POP:獵魔女團》系列中獲得約2000萬美元利潤——基本上只是整體收益的一小部分。原因是索尼在2021年與網飛達成一項發行協議,該協議旨在確保疫情不確定時期索尼仍能獲得回報。
據《Puck》雜志馬修·貝洛尼(Matthew Belloni)披露,索尼同意采用“直接上線平臺”模式:網飛支付影片制作成本及每部影片最高2000萬美元的額外費用,作為交換,網飛保留該影片的全部版權,并且即便影片大獲成功,也無需向索尼支付額外的利潤分成。這并非索尼為成品影片尋找發行方,而是網飛實質上承擔了制作成本,索尼則負責創意創作。
當時該協議頗具合理性:影院在經歷疫情停業沖擊后,仍處于恢復階段,動畫電影票房疲軟,而索尼自身缺乏主流流媒體平臺。該協議確保索尼在無需承擔院線失利風險的同時,穩獲收益。然而,誰都沒有料到——甚至網飛高管也未曾預見——《K-POP:獵魔女團》會如此火爆。
要理解網飛從中所獲價值之巨大,不妨看看《紅色通緝令》對該平臺的意義。這部于2021年上映、由巨石強森(Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson)、瑞安·雷諾茲(Ryan Reynolds)和蓋爾·加朵(Gal Gadot)主演的動作片,在網飛播放榜上穩居榜首近四年之久,其2.309億次的觀看量成為網飛成功的標桿。
《K-POP:獵魔女團》不僅超越該紀錄,還實現了《紅色通緝令》未能達成的目標:衍生IP價值。僅其原聲帶的成功就開辟出大多數網飛原創作品難以觸及的收入渠道。需重申:四首歌曲同時躋身公告牌百強單曲榜前十。“跟唱版”院線試驗的成功為網飛提供了另一關鍵數據點(網飛向來癡迷于數據)。在1700家影院上映的首個周末便斬獲1800萬至2000萬美元票房——約為大片上映影院數量的一半——表明觀眾對該系列影片的集體觀影體驗存在真實需求。倘若網飛計劃拓展線下體驗,這無疑是積極信號。
索尼錯失的機遇
倘若索尼保留《K-POP:獵魔女團》版權,那么公司本可坐擁價值高達數十億美元的IP。然而,真正讓情況愈發糟糕、甚至堪稱殘酷諷刺的是——去年九月,索尼首席財務官十時裕樹(Hiroki Totoki)在接受《金融時報》采訪時坦言:
“無論是游戲、電影還是動漫,我們自主培育的IP并不多。我們缺少處于早期階段的IP,這正是我們的痛點所在。”
索尼早已承認,除《蜘蛛俠》外,其在打造持久娛樂IP方面困難重重。公司高管承認,亟需更多從早期階段便著手培育的原創IP——而《K-POP:獵魔女團》恰恰就是這樣的作品。如今,索尼只能眼睜睜看著網飛利用該IP開發續集、周邊商品等衍生業務。(不過索尼向《財富》雜志表示,公司仍會分享包括專輯銷售在內的部分收益,網飛未進一步置評。)
數據更凸顯了錯失良機的代價。作為參照,據報道網飛曾斥資4.65億美元購買《宋飛正傳》(Seinfeld)的重播權。《K-POP:獵魔女團》作為原創IP,不僅已證明其全球吸引力、影院上映可行性,更催生了真正的音樂爆款。在此背景下,索尼僅能獲得的2000萬美元收益顯得微不足道。
續集初期洽談與未來展望
網飛與索尼迅速啟動續集洽談就說明了一切。當一個IP能在短短兩個月內打破平臺紀錄、催生冠軍單曲并證明其院線需求時,其商業價值不言而喻。網飛意圖乘勝追擊,而《K-POP:獵魔女團》系列作品蘊藏著巨大潛力。
對索尼而言,續集既是一種肯定,也是一種挫敗。工作室證明自身具備打造全球爆款的能力,但財務收益卻主要流向網飛。盡管索尼保留制作后續作品的權利,但新協議條款仍需協商——而網飛如今掌握著大部分談判籌碼。
這一事件的啟示遠超單部影片的范疇。在IP日益成為長期價值驅動力的行業里,“擁有爆款”與“為他人打造爆款”的差距可能以數十億美元計。未來數年,《K-POP:獵魔女團》可能為網飛帶來電影、劇集、消費品及線下體驗等多方面收入,而索尼只能繼續推進下一個項目,期望好運再次降臨。(財富中文網)
為撰寫本報道,《財富》雜志使用生成式人工智能協助完成初稿。在發布前,編輯已核實信息準確性。
譯者:中慧言-王芳
? 《K-POP:獵魔女團》(KPop Demon Hunters)成為網飛(Netflix)名副其實的現象級爆款,本周以2.36億次觀看量刷新平臺歷史最高紀錄,同時憑借四首歌曲同時躋身《公告牌》(Billboard)榜單前十,創下歷史紀錄。為打造這部現象級影片,索尼影視動畫公司(Sony Pictures Animation,以下簡稱索尼動畫)投入1億美元,但受疫情時期發行協議限制,據稱僅能獲得2000萬美元的收益。對索尼而言,無疑錯失了巨大機遇——如今網飛掌控著這個潛在價值高達數十億美元的IP。
網飛手握現象級爆款,其火爆程度遠超所有人預期。動畫電影《K-POP:獵魔女團》講述了K-pop女團兼獵魔者的故事,該片正式成為網飛有史以來觀看次數最多的影片,觀看量達2.36億次,打破了此前由《紅色通緝令》(Red Notice)保持的2.309億次觀看量的紀錄。這部影片自6月20日首映以來,僅用67天便達成這一里程碑,成為網飛票房榜中攀升速度最快的影片之一。
《K-POP:獵魔女團》不僅刷新了流媒體電影的播放紀錄:其原聲帶中的四首歌曲同時躋身公告牌百強單曲榜前十,這在該榜單67年歷史中尚屬首次。(具體排名如下:《Golden》位居榜首,《Your Idol》位列第四,《Soda Pop》位居第五,《How It's Done》躋身第十名,您要是好奇的話。)上周末,網飛嘗試在院線放映該片的“跟唱版”,盡管觀眾在家中即可在線觀看,但在約1700家影院的放映中,該片仍斬獲了約1800萬至2000萬美元的票房。
影片的巨大成功促使網飛與索尼已就續集事宜展開初步洽談。對網飛而言,這代表著其多年來一直追求的“現象級動畫系列”夢想照進現實;但對影片制作方索尼動畫而言,情況則更為復雜——這或許代表著好萊塢近年來最重大的“機遇錯失”案例之一。
《K-POP:獵魔女團》:現象級作品的誕生歷程
據報道,索尼動畫為打造《K-POP:獵魔女團》投入了約1億美元制作預算,此舉是對K-Pop文化與超自然冒險題材全球吸引力的一次重大押注。該片由瑪吉·康(Maggie Kang)與克里斯·艾伯翰斯(Chris Appelhans)聯合執導,講述了虛構女團Huntr/X在維持偶像事業的同時對抗惡魔的故事,片中還設置了名為Saja Boys的競爭男團——后續劇情走向不難想象。
截至目前,這場創意豪賭以令人意想不到的方式大獲成功。影片原聲帶不僅完美契合劇情,還掀起真正的音樂現象級熱潮:其中《Golden》成為第八首登頂公告牌百強單曲榜的K-Pop歌曲,這是自迪士尼電影《魔法滿屋》(Encanto)主題曲《We Don’t Talk About Bruno》以來,首支榮登榜首的動畫電影歌曲,也是首支由女藝人演唱的冠軍單曲。
截至目前,影片熱度仍居高不下:《K-POP:獵魔女團》已連續10周穩居網飛電影榜榜首,僅在最新統計的一周內就新增了2540萬次觀看量。這種長尾熱度對網飛原創作品而言極為罕見,更何況該片還是一部源自不知名IP的冷門動畫電影。
索尼的協議及獲得的收益
顯然,《K-POP:獵魔女團》為網飛帶來了巨額收益。按常理,索尼作為這部電影的制作方,本應斬獲同樣豐厚的回報,對吧?然而事實并非如此。盡管投入約1億美元打造這部全球現象級作品,索尼動畫預計只能從這個潛在價值高達數十億美元的《K-POP:獵魔女團》系列中獲得約2000萬美元利潤——基本上只是整體收益的一小部分。原因是索尼在2021年與網飛達成一項發行協議,該協議旨在確保疫情不確定時期索尼仍能獲得回報。
據《Puck》雜志馬修·貝洛尼(Matthew Belloni)披露,索尼同意采用“直接上線平臺”模式:網飛支付影片制作成本及每部影片最高2000萬美元的額外費用,作為交換,網飛保留該影片的全部版權,并且即便影片大獲成功,也無需向索尼支付額外的利潤分成。這并非索尼為成品影片尋找發行方,而是網飛實質上承擔了制作成本,索尼則負責創意創作。
當時該協議頗具合理性:影院在經歷疫情停業沖擊后,仍處于恢復階段,動畫電影票房疲軟,而索尼自身缺乏主流流媒體平臺。該協議確保索尼在無需承擔院線失利風險的同時,穩獲收益。然而,誰都沒有料到——甚至網飛高管也未曾預見——《K-POP:獵魔女團》會如此火爆。
要理解網飛從中所獲價值之巨大,不妨看看《紅色通緝令》對該平臺的意義。這部于2021年上映、由巨石強森(Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson)、瑞安·雷諾茲(Ryan Reynolds)和蓋爾·加朵(Gal Gadot)主演的動作片,在網飛播放榜上穩居榜首近四年之久,其2.309億次的觀看量成為網飛成功的標桿。
《K-POP:獵魔女團》不僅超越該紀錄,還實現了《紅色通緝令》未能達成的目標:衍生IP價值。僅其原聲帶的成功就開辟出大多數網飛原創作品難以觸及的收入渠道。需重申:四首歌曲同時躋身公告牌百強單曲榜前十。“跟唱版”院線試驗的成功為網飛提供了另一關鍵數據點(網飛向來癡迷于數據)。在1700家影院上映的首個周末便斬獲1800萬至2000萬美元票房——約為大片上映影院數量的一半——表明觀眾對該系列影片的集體觀影體驗存在真實需求。倘若網飛計劃拓展線下體驗,這無疑是積極信號。
索尼錯失的機遇
倘若索尼保留《K-POP:獵魔女團》版權,那么公司本可坐擁價值高達數十億美元的IP。然而,真正讓情況愈發糟糕、甚至堪稱殘酷諷刺的是——去年九月,索尼首席財務官十時裕樹(Hiroki Totoki)在接受《金融時報》采訪時坦言:
“無論是游戲、電影還是動漫,我們自主培育的IP并不多。我們缺少處于早期階段的IP,這正是我們的痛點所在。”
索尼早已承認,除《蜘蛛俠》外,其在打造持久娛樂IP方面困難重重。公司高管承認,亟需更多從早期階段便著手培育的原創IP——而《K-POP:獵魔女團》恰恰就是這樣的作品。如今,索尼只能眼睜睜看著網飛利用該IP開發續集、周邊商品等衍生業務。(不過索尼向《財富》雜志表示,公司仍會分享包括專輯銷售在內的部分收益,網飛未進一步置評。)
數據更凸顯了錯失良機的代價。作為參照,據報道網飛曾斥資4.65億美元購買《宋飛正傳》(Seinfeld)的重播權。《K-POP:獵魔女團》作為原創IP,不僅已證明其全球吸引力、影院上映可行性,更催生了真正的音樂爆款。在此背景下,索尼僅能獲得的2000萬美元收益顯得微不足道。
續集初期洽談與未來展望
網飛與索尼迅速啟動續集洽談就說明了一切。當一個IP能在短短兩個月內打破平臺紀錄、催生冠軍單曲并證明其院線需求時,其商業價值不言而喻。網飛意圖乘勝追擊,而《K-POP:獵魔女團》系列作品蘊藏著巨大潛力。
對索尼而言,續集既是一種肯定,也是一種挫敗。工作室證明自身具備打造全球爆款的能力,但財務收益卻主要流向網飛。盡管索尼保留制作后續作品的權利,但新協議條款仍需協商——而網飛如今掌握著大部分談判籌碼。
這一事件的啟示遠超單部影片的范疇。在IP日益成為長期價值驅動力的行業里,“擁有爆款”與“為他人打造爆款”的差距可能以數十億美元計。未來數年,《K-POP:獵魔女團》可能為網飛帶來電影、劇集、消費品及線下體驗等多方面收入,而索尼只能繼續推進下一個項目,期望好運再次降臨。(財富中文網)
為撰寫本報道,《財富》雜志使用生成式人工智能協助完成初稿。在發布前,編輯已核實信息準確性。
譯者:中慧言-王芳
? KPop Demon Hunters is a bona fide megahit for Netflix, this week becoming its most-watched movie ever with 236 million views, while making Billboard history with four simultaneous top 10 hits. Sony Pictures Animation, which spent $100 million creating the phenomenon, will reportedly net only $20 million owing to a pandemic-era distribution deal. The outcome represents a massive missed opportunity for Sony, as Netflix now controls what could become a multibillion-dollar franchise.
Netflix has a monster hit on its hands, and it’s not what anyone expected. KPop Demon Hunters, an animated film about a K-pop girl group who are also demon hunters, has officially become Netflix’s most-watched movie ever with 236 million views, dethroning the previous record-holder Red Notice and its 230.9 million views. The milestone comes just 67 days after the film’s June 20 debut, making it one of the fastest climbs to the top of Netflix’s all-time charts.
KPop Demon Hunters isn’t just breaking movie-streaming records: Four songs from its soundtrack are currently sitting in the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 at the same time, something that has actually never happened in the chart’s 67-year history. (“Golden” holds the No. 1 spot, “Your Idol” sits at No. 4, “Soda Pop” is at No. 5, and “How It’s Done” landed at No. 10, since you asked.) And when Netflix decided to test the waters with a sing-along theatrical release last weekend, the film earned an estimated $18 million to $20 million at the box office across roughly 1,700 theaters, despite being available to stream at home.
The success has been so overwhelming Netflix and Sony are already in early talks for a sequel. For Netflix, this represents the kind of breakout animated franchise the company has been chasing for years. But for Sony Pictures Animation, which created the film, the story is more complicated—and potentially represents one of the biggest missed opportunities in recent Hollywood history.
The making of the KPop Demon Hunters phenomenon
Sony Pictures Animation developed KPop Demon Hunters with a reported production budget of around $100 million, positioning it as a significant bet on the global appeal of both K-pop culture and supernatural adventure. Directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, the film follows the fictional girl group Huntr/X as they battle demons while maintaining their pop-star careers. There’s a rival boy band called Saja Boys … you can imagine where this is going.
The creative gamble, so far, has paid off in surprising ways. The film’s soundtrack didn’t just complement the story—it became a genuine musical phenomenon, with “Golden” becoming the eighth K-pop song to hit No. 1 on the Hot 100, the first time a song from an animated movie reached that spot since “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Disney’s Encanto, and the first to feature female artists.
So far, the film has sustained its momentum. KPop Demon Hunters has now spent 10 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Netflix’s movie charts, adding 25.4 million views in just the most recent week tracked. That kind of staying power is rare for any Netflix original, let alone an obscure animated film that isn’t from an established IP.
Sony’s deal—and what it walked away with
Obviously, KPop Demon Hunters is massive for Netflix. And Sony actually made the movie, so it should be equally massive for them, too, right? Well, not so much. Despite spending roughly $100 million to create what became a global phenomenon, Sony Pictures is expected to net only about $20 million in profit from what is potentially a billion-dollar franchise in KPop Demon Hunters; basically, a fraction of the upside. The reason lies in a 2021 distribution deal Sony struck with Netflix, designed to guarantee returns during the uncertain pandemic era.
According to Puck’s Matthew Belloni, Sony agreed to a “direct-to-platform” arrangement where Netflix would pay back the film’s production budget plus an additional fee capped at $20 million per project. In exchange, Netflix retained all rights to the property and owes no additional profit participation, even as the film becomes a massive hit. This wasn’t Sony shopping around a finished film; Netflix essentially funded the production while Sony handled the creative work.
At the time, the deal made sense. Theaters were still recovering from pandemic closures, animated films were struggling at the box office, and Sony lacked its own major streaming platform. The arrangement guaranteed Sony would make a profit without risking a theatrical flop. But nobody—not even Netflix executives—predicted KPop Demon Hunters would become as big as it did.
To understand the magnitude of what Netflix acquired, consider what Red Notice represented for the platform. That 2021 action film starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot held Netflix’s top spot for nearly four years, with its 230.9 million views becoming the benchmark for Netflix success.
KPop Demon Hunters blew past that number, but it also demonstrated something Red Notice couldn’t achieve: franchise potential. The film’s soundtrack success alone opens up revenue streams that most Netflix originals can’t touch. A reminder: four simultaneous Billboard top 10 hits. And the success of the theatrical sing-along experiment provides another data point for Netflix (and Netflix loves its data points). Netting $18 million to $20 million in a single weekend across 1,700 theaters—roughly half the number of theaters a blockbuster release would get—suggests real audience demand for communal experiences around the franchise, which is promising if Netflix is looking at expanding into more physical spaces.
The missed opportunity for Sony
Had Sony kept the rights to KPop Demon Hunters, the company would be sitting on something potentially worth billions. But what truly acts as salt in the wound, and perhaps some form of cruel irony, is that last September, Sony’s own chief financial officer, Hiroki Totoki, said this in an interview with the Financial Times:
“Whether it’s for games, films, or anime, we don’t have that much IP that we fostered from the beginning. We’re lacking the early phase [of IP], and that’s an issue for us.”
Sony has been candid about its struggles to develop lasting entertainment franchises beyond Spider-Man. Company executives have acknowledged the studio needs more original intellectual property fostered from the beginning—exactly what KPop Demon Hunters represents. Instead, Sony now watches Netflix leverage the property for sequels, merchandise, and much more. (Sony, for what it’s worth, tells Fortune it will share in some of the profits, including album sales. Netflix offered no further comment.)
The numbers make the missed opportunity even starker. For context, Netflix reportedly paid $465 million to acquire the rights to Seinfeld reruns. KPop Demon Hunters is an original property that has already proved its global appeal, demonstrated theatrical viability, and created genuine music hits. The $20 million Sony will earn looks modest against that backdrop.
Early sequel talks and what’s next
The speed with which Netflix and Sony entered sequel discussions tells its own story. When a property breaks platform records, generates chart-topping music, and proves theatrical demand all within two months, the economics become clear quickly. Netflix wants to strike while the iron’s hot, and there’s a lot of potential for a KPop Demon Hunters universe.
For Sony, the sequel represents both a vindication and frustration. The studio proved it could create a global hit, but the financial upside flows primarily to Netflix. While Sony retains the right to produce future installments, the terms of any new deals remain to be negotiated—and Netflix now holds most of the leverage.
The broader lesson extends beyond this single film. In an industry where intellectual property increasingly drives long-term value, the difference between owning a hit and creating one for someone else can be measured in billions. KPop Demon Hunters will likely generate revenue for Netflix across multiple films, series, consumer products, and live experiences for years to come. Sony, meanwhile, will move on to the next project, hoping lightning strikes twice.
For this story, Fortune used generative AI to help with an initial draft. An editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing.