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Dhruv Sharma
Published 16 minutes ago
Dhruv is a Lead Writer in Screen Rant's New TV division. He has been consistently contributing to the website for over two years and has written thousands of articles covering streaming trends, movie/TV analysis, and pop culture breakdowns.
Before Screen Rant, he was a Senior Writer for The Cinemaholic, covering everything from anime to television, from reality TV to movies.
After high school, he was on his way to become a Civil Engineer. However, he soon realized that writing was his true calling. As a result, he took a leap and never looked back.
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KPop Demon Hunters' live-action movie already seems to have found the perfect actor to play one character from the original animated film.
Directed by Maggie Kang, KPop Demon Hunters made waves in 2025 as it became a sleeper hit and rose in the ranks to commercially beat some of Netflix's biggest hits. The movie's well-rounded critical and commercial success has not only generated a lot of Oscar buzz around it but has also made it hard not to wonder if it will get a live-action remake.
A KPop Demon Hunters sequel is already in the works and scheduled to be released sometime in 2029. Owing to this, it is possible that even its live-action might see the light of day in the near future. Although there have been no official announcements surrounding its live-action remake, one actor seems like the perfect fit for its roster if it happens.
Ken Jeong Would Be Perfect As Live-Action Bobby In KPop Demon Hunters
Ken Jeong as Eugene looking upset in Accused season 2
Best known for his roles in The Hangover movies and Community, American comedian and actor, Ken Jeong, served as the voice behind Bobby in KPop Demon Hunters. The actor has also joked about how he resembles Bobby in real life in more ways than one. Recently, Ken Jeong also introduced the HUNTR/X singers during the Macy's NY Parade, making it feel like Bobby had come to life. Check it out below:
Considering everything above, Ken Jeong already seems like the perfect casting choice for a live-action KPop Demon Hunters movie, where he could reprise his role as Bobby. Instead of merely voicing the character, he could perfectly capture him on the screen. In the original animated film, Bobby is portrayed as an experienced manager who looks over HUNTR/X's schedule.
Although the film does not explicitly reveal his age, it is hard not to believe that he has been in the industry for quite some time and is relatively older. This again seems to favor Ken Keong, who could perfectly embody the character both physically and through the lived-in credibility that an older performer naturally brings. Not to mention, this will not be the first time Kon Jeong will capture a bumbling character like Bobby on the big screen.
As Fun As It Sounds, Live-Action KPop Demon Hunters Should Never Happen
On paper, the idea of a live-action KPop Demon Hunters movie seems incredibly exciting. However, it would be better if the franchise continued in the animation medium instead of being forced into a live-action format. The history of live-action adaptations of animated shows and movies is evidence that, more often than not, live-action iterations dilute the legacies of their animated parent shows and movies.
Even some of the better live-action takes on animated movies and shows, like One Piece and How to Train Your Dragon, have struggled to be as incredible as their original animated iterations. The original movie's creator and co-director, Maggie Kang, also previously considered the idea of developing a live-action KPop Demon Hunters (via Forbes).
However, she has now revealed (via BBC) that she has changed her mind, realizing that "One of the great things about animation is that you make these composites of impossibly great attributes." Citing Rumi's characterization as an example, she emphasized how animation allows one to push storytelling limits and "elevate what's possible." Her comments perfectly explain why KPop Demon Hunters' sequel is a great idea, but its live-action should probably never happen.
KPop Demon Hunters
PG
Animation
Fantasy
Action
Comedy
Music
Family
9/10
246
9.0/10
Release Date
June 20, 2025
Cast
Arden Cho, May Hong, Ji-young Yoo, Ahn Hyo-seop, Yunjin Kim, Ken Jeong, Lee Byung-hun, Daniel Dae Kim, Joel Kim Booster, Liza Koshy, Alan Lee, SungWon Cho, Maggie Kang, Nathan Schauf, Audrey Nuna, Kevin Woo, Lea Salonga, Cori Baik, Jennifer Sun Bell, John Eric Bentley, Ranjani Brow, Esther K. Chae, Claudia Choi, Alexandra Bokyun Chun, Eddie Frierson
Runtime
96 minutes
Director
Chris Appelhans, Maggie Kang
Writers
Hannah McMechan, Chris Appelhans, Maggie Kang, Danya Jimenez
Main Genre
Animation
Genres
Animation, Fantasy, Action, Comedy, Music, Family
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