Netflix Turns ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Into a Toy Empire
Netflix announces toy partnerships with Mattel and Hasbro
- KPop Demon Hunters film released in June 2025
- Products to launch in spring 2026
Netflix is no longer just streaming your favourite films — it’s now gunning for space in your toy box. The company has inked global partnerships with Mattel and Hasbro, naming them co-master toy licensees for its megahit film KPop Demon Hunters. The goal is simple: bottle the global obsession that the movie sparked and sell it back to fans in plastic form.
From Screen to Shelf
If you somehow missed the phenomenon, KPop Demon Hunters is Netflix’s biggest film of all time, pulling in over 325 million views in just 91 days. It’s also taken over the music charts, with the soundtrack hitting #1 on Billboard’s 200 Albums and clocking 8.3 billion streams worldwide. In the crowded streaming landscape, that’s the equivalent of a Marvel-sized mic drop.
As Netflix’s Chief Marketing Officer Marian Lee put it, “KPop Demon Hunters unleashed a global fan frenzy.” Which is corporate-speak for “our servers melted, and we’re not wasting that kind of heat.”
Now the film is graduating from the screen to the shelves, with Mattel and Hasbro tasked with turning this K-pop-meets-anime juggernaut into a long-term consumer brand.
Mattel Steps Into the Spotlight
Mattel will lead with dolls and action figures inspired by the film’s all-female demon-hunting band, launching in 2026. The first product, a three-pack of HUNTR/X dolls, goes up for presale on 12 November 2025.
“We’re thrilled to deepen our partnership with Netflix through the record-shattering, chart-topping KPop Demon Hunters,” said Roberto Stanichi, Chief Global Brand Officer at Mattel. Translation: Barbie’s got competition, and she can sing in Korean while slaying demons.
Hasbro Joins the Battle
Not to be outdone, Hasbro is rolling out its own range of toys, including plushies and youth electronics. Its opening salvo? A KPop Demon Hunters-themed MONOPOLY Deal game, available for pre-order on 21 October 2025.
“This collaboration with Netflix enables us to bring the film’s dynamic universe to life beyond the screen,” said Tim Kilpin, Hasbro’s President of Toy, Licensing and Entertainment. In other words, they’re turning a Netflix original into a full-fledged playtime economy.
The Merch Machine Rolls On
Products from both toy giants will start hitting stores in spring 2026, just in time for another wave of fandom — and likely another Netflix push to keep the film in rotation. Retailers will carry the lines through the holiday season and beyond, suggesting Netflix plans to make KPop Demon Hunters a multi-year franchise rather than a one-summer wonder.
After The Hype
There’s no denying Netflix has cracked the code on cultural virality. But spinning movie mania into merchandise is a different game altogether. Hollywood’s graveyard is littered with one-hit wonders that couldn’t sell past the hype. For Mattel and Hasbro, the challenge is to keep the fanbase buying long after the soundtrack fades.
Still, this is Netflix we’re talking about — a company that turned binge-watching into a lifestyle. If it can pull off this cinematic-to-consumer crossover, KPop Demon Hunters might just become the streaming giant’s first true franchise outside the screen.
For now, the message is clear: if you can’t stop humming the soundtrack, you’ll soon be able to buy the action figure too.
