Sony Animation Is Showing Disney How It’s Done

I have to say, I was absolutely blown away by KPop Demon Hunters! It seriously came out of nowhere – I don’t think any animated movie in the last ten years has taken off like this one. It wasn’t just popular when it hit Netflix, it felt like a total phenomenon. I mean, within days, my social media was filled with incredible fan art, the music was everywhere, and people were already creating amazing cosplay! It was incredible to watch.

The new Netflix series, KPop Demon Hunters, quickly became a huge cultural phenomenon. Despite the challenges facing even big-budget animated shows, it didn’t just gain attention – it dominated the conversation. The show is stylish, hilarious, full of action, and genuinely heartfelt, making it a perfect fit for today’s viewers.

Everyone is excited about how well KPop Demon Hunters is doing, and it highlights a surprising trend in animation. Disney and Pixar haven’t produced an original film that really resonated with the public like this in years. More and more, it seems Sony Animation, rather than Disney, is leading the way in creating successful animated movies for today’s audiences.

How Sony Animation Is Pushing Animation Forward

Sony Has Quietly Become The Most Innovative Studio In The Game

Although KPop Demon Hunters is the latest hit from the studio, Sony Animation hasn’t always been a leader in animation. Early films like Open Season (2006) and Surf’s Up (2007) were well-made, but didn’t stand out, especially compared to Disney’s dominance in the field.

Twenty years later, Sony Animation looks completely different. They’ve released over 30 movies, carefully creating a collection that includes both popular, successful films and creatively daring projects. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs showed they could make genuinely funny movies.

Hotel Transylvania quickly became a very successful series of movies. Arthur Christmas established Sony Pictures as a maker of popular Christmas films.

The real breakthrough came with the 2018 film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. It didn’t just receive awards; it fundamentally changed how most animated movies looked. Its unique visual style—a mix of 3D and 2D with a comic book feel—made other animated films seem visually outdated by comparison.

Sony Animation’s 10 Most Recent Movies
Sony Animation Movie	Release Year	Rotten Tomatoes Score
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse	2018	97%
The Angry Birds Movie 2	2019	72%
The Mitchells vs. The Machines	2021	97%
Wish Dragon	2021	71%
Vivo	2021	86%
Hotel Transylvania: Transformia	2022	47%
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse	2023	95%
KPop Demon Hunters	2025	92%
Fixed	2025	56%
Goat	2026	82%

This distinctive visual style was first seen in The Mitchells vs. the Machines and continues in KPop Demon Hunters. It’s energetic, highly stylized, and clearly embraces the fact that it’s animation—rather than trying to look like real life. The creators aren’t afraid to use exaggeration to create a unique look.

Sony is sticking with its distinctive and energetic style in 2026 with Goat, continuing a trend that’s quickly becoming their trademark. Following the huge popularity of KPop Demon Hunters, a new generation of viewers is starting to recognize this bright, visually striking approach as a sign of a great movie.

Visual branding is crucial in animation, and Sony has truly created a unique and recognizable style. This will likely attract viewers who are already familiar with it, giving them a significant edge. The distinct look – which some are already calling a ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ vibe – poses a genuine challenge to Disney and Pixar.

The KPop Demon Hunters Phenomenon Wasn’t An Accident

Sony Engineered A Cultural Storm Instead Of Waiting For One

Honestly, as a movie fan, KPop Demon Hunters totally blindsided a lot of people – especially those who aren’t really into family films. You might hear it called a surprise hit, but trust me, it wasn’t luck. Sony planned this whole thing. Every single detail of the movie was carefully designed to make it a success, it was pure strategy.

The title KPop Demon Hunters is perfectly designed to attract online attention. It combines the huge popularity of K-pop music with the trending interest in demon hunting stories, like those seen in anime such as Demon Slayer. It’s a memorable name that’s easy to find and clearly suggests the story’s style and subject matter.

Sony realized how valuable it was to have content people would watch again and again. Just like with Netflix’s popular animated shows, families often watch things multiple times – a parent might start a movie, and their kids will want to see it over and over. This repeated viewing quickly adds up, and within a few weeks, the film’s popularity soared.

The movie’s soundtrack is a major highlight. Songs like “Golden” became incredibly popular on TikTok and YouTube Shorts, inspiring dance challenges and countless fan-made edits that perfectly matched the action scenes. The music didn’t just accompany the film—it helped it thrive and live on through remixes, covers, and online content.

More than anything, KPop Demon Hunters was a well-made film, and that’s why it became so popular and stayed that way. With exciting action, appealing characters, and truly funny scenes, it gave fans something to really love. Ultimately, KPop Demon Hunters isn’t just a good movie; it’s a perfect example of how to create a huge hit with families in the age of streaming.

Disney And Pixar’s Formulas Are Still A Safe Investment

Strong Competition Doesn’t Mean The House Of Mouse Is Finished

While Sony Animation is getting a lot of attention for its recent success, Disney and Pixar are still major players. KPop Demon Hunters is definitely a hit – possibly the biggest animated movie in years – and follows other Sony successes like The Mitchells vs the Machines and the Spider-Verse films. But Sony doing well doesn’t mean Disney is losing its position.

Disney and Pixar are still incredibly popular and well-respected studios. People automatically associate their films with heartwarming stories and high-quality animation. Plus, Disney continues to be a financial leader in the industry, and one successful movie from another studio doesn’t change that.

Plus, new Disney and Pixar movies, like Toy Story 5, are already generating excitement. Simply tapping into people’s fond memories is a very effective way to market these films. In the past, competition from studios like DreamWorks and Illumination hasn’t hurt Disney; instead, it’s helped the entire animation industry grow.

Competition pushes creativity. Just as Shrek disrupted Disney’s fairy tale dominance in the early 2000s and prompted change, and Despicable Me proved low-budget animation could be hugely successful in the 2010s, leading studios to adjust their strategies, Sony Animation’s recent success with KPop Demon Hunters feels like a similar turning point.

What sets Sony apart now is its unique visual style. While Disney and Pixar focus on incredibly realistic animation, Sony is taking more creative risks. Luckily, both styles can be successful, and honestly, KPop Demon Hunters is a fantastic example of what’s possible – which is great news for viewers.

What Sony Animation Is Cooking Up Next

Sony’s Upcoming Slate Suggests This Is Only The Beginning

Following the hit series KPop Demon Hunters, Sony Animation is continuing full steam ahead. They have a busy schedule planned for the next few years, including both new movies and continuations of existing stories.

The highly anticipated conclusion to the Spider-Verse trilogy, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, is scheduled for release in 2027. Following the exciting cliffhanger at the end of Across the Spider-Verse, expectations are incredibly high, and a successful film could solidify Sony’s reputation for innovative storytelling.

Also releasing this year is Wish Dragon 2, a continuation of the delightful, though often overlooked, 2021 film Wish Dragon. While sequels are often a safe choice, they demonstrate Sony Pictures’ belief in the success of its earlier work. The studio isn’t just aiming for occasional hits; they’re building out these films into complete franchises.

Even though films like Beyond the Spider-Verse are creating a lot of excitement, Sony Animation’s biggest movie will probably be the sequel to KPop Demon Hunters, currently scheduled for 2029. Considering how well the first film did, this sequel is almost certain to be one of the most highly anticipated animated movies of the next few years.

Beyond established franchises, Sony is also working on new projects like Buds and Bubble, though information about them is limited. Further into the future, they’re considering standalone films featuring Spider-Punk and Spider-Woman, a follow-up to The Mitchells vs. the Machines, and an animated Ghostbusters spin-off.

This recent lineup of shows demonstrates that Sony isn’t only celebrating the success of KPop Demon Hunters, but is also leveraging that success to establish itself as a major player in the animation world.

2026-02-21 17:52