The highly anticipated sequel to the Netflix animated hit “KPop Demon Hunters” will expand in scale and deliver a story packed with major events, the film’s creators said Wednesday.

From left, music producers Nam Hee-dong, Lee Yoo-han, and Kwak Jung-kyu, co-directors Chris Appelhans and Maggie Kang, and singer-songwriter EJAE pose during a press conference to commemorate their Academy Award wins for the Netflix animated feature 'KPop Demon Hunters' in Seoul, Wednesday. (Yonhap)

Following the massive global success of the first installment, the production team shared its vision for the next chapter of the franchise, saying it aims to surprise fans with rule-breaking new ideas.

“We are currently holding onto some big ideas for the sequel,” co-director Maggie Kang said during a press conference in Seoul.

“While we cannot reveal specific details yet, we plan to make a film that is even bigger in scale and more eventful than the first one. Just like the first one, we are making a movie that we personally want to see.”

“KPop Demon Hunters” follows the journey of Rumi, Mira and Zoey, members of the K-pop girl group Huntrix, as they secretly protect the world from evil spirits. The feature became a major cultural phenomenon, winning awards at the Oscars, Golden Globes and Grammys.

The creative team visited Korea this week to celebrate the historic achievement at the 98th Academy Awards last month. The film secured two Oscars for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for the hit track “Golden,” marking a milestone for Korean-inspired content.

Regarding the direction of the sequel, co-director Chris Appelhans emphasized that the core of the film will remain rooted in what he calls “Koreanness.” Appelhans, who has been part of a Korean family for over 20 years through his wife, said his deep understanding of the culture comes from lived experience rather than study.

“I think part of what inspires us working on the sequel is we want to do things that we did the first time, not in the sense of repeating, but in the sense of surprising fans by doing things that are unexpected, that are breaking rules and that are pushing the boundaries,” Appelhans said.

“Underneath all of that authenticity is ‘Koreanness.’ It is the soul of the movie on every level, from the girls’ characters to the music to the mythology.”

During the press conference, the music production team IDO, comprising Lee Yoo-han, Kwak Jung-kyu and Nam Hee-dong, spoke about their Oscars speech, which was cut short on the live broadcast.

Lee expressed regret for not being able to finish his thanks to their families and label, though he described the moment as a great honor.

Adding a touch of humor, Kwak said the team decides everything, including who speaks on stage, through rock-paper-scissors. They even held a live rock-paper-scissors match during the event to decide who would keep the actual Oscar trophy, with Kwak winning the game.

Singer-songwriter EJAE, who performed “Golden” alongside Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna at the Academy Awards, shared the emotional weight of seeing Hollywood stars like Leonardo DiCaprio and Emma Stone reacting to K-culture.

“I didn’t look at them during the performance because I was too nervous, but seeing Leonardo DiCaprio holding a light stick afterward made me realize the true power of K-culture,” she said. EJAE added that she felt proud to perform with traditional Korean music on such a prestigious stage.

Looking ahead, Kang hinted at exploring diverse musical genres for the sequel.

“My thoughts haven’t changed regarding the use of trot and heavy metal,” Kang said. “Trot is a unique style of Korea that I want to introduce more to the world, and heavy metal is a base of K-pop that I want to showcase if the story allows.”