Netflix is preparing to expand the hit animated film "Kpop Demon Hunters" into a full-fledged character merchandise franchise, in an apparent move that shadows Disney's strategy.

It’s not just the film that’s a summer hit. The “KPop Demon Hunters” soundtrack has topped the charts — debuting at No. 1 on Billboard’s Soundtracks chart and No. 8 on the all-genre Billboard 200.

Netflix has a new animated phenomenon on its hands, and it didn’t happen the way anyone expected. KPop Demon Hunters, the vibrant, demon-slaying musical about a fictional K-pop girl group, has defied the usual streaming trends and broken a record that no other Netflix film has ever achieved: it reached a brand-new peak in viewership five weeks after release.