Toronto raised animator Maggie Kang’s directorial debut is now a global phenomenon. She is the creator and co-director behind Netflix’s hit of the summer, KPOP Demon Hunters. CBC Toronto’s Kelda Yuen sat down with Maggie Kang at the CBC headquarters downtown to learn more about how her Korean roots set the stage for the film.
Here is that conversation, edited for clarity and length.
Q:This is such a global phenomenon, probably the biggest entertainment story of the year. This really is a movie that is being embraced and obsessed over across demographics. Was there a moment where you were like, it really hit you that this is something major?
A:It was almost instantaneous. As soon as it came on air, it was like everybody was posting all these videos and reaction things. I think it was like day five or six. I was religiously on Twitter. It was like 2 a.m. L.A. time, and I’m scrolling and thinking, like, I should probably go to bed. And it started to turn into Korean because Korea was waking up. And I think that’s when I really realized how global it was.
Q: You were born in Seoul. You moved to Toronto when you were very little. You grew up in North York. And North York does have quite a sizeable Korean immigrant population. How was it growing up with that unique experience of straddling two different cultures? What was it like for you in the 90s?
A: We went to Korea a lot and spent, like, full summers there. I feel like I had equally 50-50 cultural influence and the movie I think reflects that. I think also just growing up in Toronto, where so much of all our different cultures are really celebrated, really allowed me to continue to embrace my Korean heritage — even though I didn’t have a lot of Korean friends. I had a lot of Chinese friends and learned about their culture a lot too. But I think just seeing all of our cultures being appreciated, you find pride in that. And I think Toronto really allowed me to keep that pride.
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Q: How did you get into animation?
A: I grew up with a dad who really loves films. He recognized that I had a talent for drawing and storytelling. So he was the first one to buy me an animation book. And that’s when I realized that this could be a real job. And a family friend went to Sheridan College for a different program.So [I applied] to Sheridan and studied classical animation there. And in my graduating year, I was basically scouted by DreamWorks Animation to come train there and learn story and storyboarding. And so collectively, I spent 10 years at DreamWorks and then went to a bunch of other studios and did a lot of work on a lot of films.
Q: Let’s talk about this idea you had for KPop Demon Hunters. This was about seven years ago when the seeds were first planted. Tell me about that process and how did this idea evolve?
A: It was really like a combination of things that I was thinking about, just, you know, the tone of the girls and how silly they are, Korean mythology, and the K-pop part was very last. Seven years feels like a really long time for anybody to be on one thing. But with animation, you go through different phases. So at first you’re in [the] development phase, which means you’re writing a lot, you’re writing the script, you’re creating art that’s kind of going to capture the essence of the movie and the feel of it. So you work kind of big to small. The next phase is going into digital.
Q: I love the animation style. You call it, I guess, facial poses, as an animator. I love how you would see them kind of contort. It kind of got that anime, manga style. What made you decide to use those kind of elements?
A: We were very inspired by Sailor Moon and just a lot of anime. I remember growing up, in Korea, I used to watch anime, manga, manhwa inspired cartoons. So a lot of that was just inspiration, pulling inspiration from the 2D look, but always keeping it 3D in our Movie.
Q: Music is a huge part of this movie. When you were working on this movie, how important was it to you that the music, that each song could compete with all the pop songs on there that you would hear on the radio?
A: Very important. And that is the reason why we partnered with the Black Label. We felt that it was important to partner with the Korean label that produces this kind of music. K-pop is very specific in the production and the process. Also working with songwriters who have written a lot of K-pop hits. And it was fun. It was a really fun process and they were all very excited to work with us.
Q: Why do you think this film resonates with so many people of different ages?
A: I think the themes are very universal and very relevant to today. I think with social media … We kind of present a side of ourselves through social media, but maybe we’re not the same person behind closed doors. And I think that kind of theme really resonates with even young kids. It’s a K-pop movie, but it’s really a movie for anybody who likes music.
Q: One word: sequel?
A: There’s no official word yet, but I think we’re all excited to tell more stories in this world. And I think there’s room to expand it and explore more stories. And at this point, I feel like the fans are demanding it.
Q: What makes this one so different?
A: I’ve learned so much from working on so many amazing projects over the years. And I think while working on them, I really honed my voice. And this one, I was like, I’m just going to unleash that voice and make it really, truly myself. And so I approached this movie, you know, wanting to not leave anything on the table, you know, be fearless and try things that I think could be scary, but let’s just go for it.
