Sony Pictures Animation Confirms Next Two Films: 'K-Pop: Demon Hunters' For 2025 On Netflix; Basketball Comedy 'Goat' For Theaters In February 2026
The 'Spider-Verse' studio is bringing All-Star talent in their return to theaters
Sony Pictures Animation has not released a film all year, with their most recent film being Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, released in June 2023. Its sequel, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, was delayed indefinitely at the end of July 2023, pulled from a March 2024 release and hasn’t received a new date in the 13 months since. The Genndy Tartakovsky-directed film Fixed is looking for a new distributor after Warner Bros. returned it to them earlier in this month. But in between, specifically earlier this summer, the studio took two major steps to bringing its feature output back.
K-Pop: Demon Hunters has been known about at least since 2021, along with its Netflix destination for quite a while. 2021 of course was when the studio had its own pandemic trio of films sold to Netflix so they wouldn’t languish waiting for theatrical releases whenever audiences returned: The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Wish Dragon, and Vivo. Demon Hunters finally had its first public unveiling back in June, during the streamer’s “Next on Netflix: Animation” presentation, confirming a 2025 release. No cast has been announced but Maggie Kang is making her feature directorial debut with Wish Dragon’s Chris Appelhans. The story follows a world-famous K-Pop girl group balancing their lives in the spotlight with their secret identities as bad-ass demon hunters, and all the flashiness that comes with it.
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Second, we have Goat, which is a basketball comedy set to be released in theaters on February 13, 2026. It is directed by Emmy-winning Bob’s Burgers alum Tyree Dillihay, with Adam Rosette, who’s previously worked on DreamWorks’s Orion and the Dark, as co-director. The screenplay was written by Aaron Buchsbaum and Teddy Riley, creators of Prime Video’s Fairfax. “As a lifelong fan of animation and sports, Goat is my dream project. We’ve got a modern take on a classic story in a rich new world where amazing happens. I couldn’t ask for a better team of collaborators to help bring this experiential event to life,” said Dillihay.
Goat’s basketball ties are especially strong, as it counts NBA champion Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry as a producer with Erick Peyton, both coming from Unanimous Media. In addition, that February 13 weekend is NBA All-Star Weekend, which will be in Los Angeles, making for an all-around flashy Hollywood affair. “We’re excited to have the opportunity to work with Sony Pictures Animation on Goat, a special project we hope will resonate with families and sports fans alike,” said Peyton and Curry. “With Goat, we look forward to uplifting audiences with diverse characters and heartwarming storylines that will have you rooting for the underdog.”
Its other producers include Michelle Raimo Kouyate, whose work includes The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story and Silver Linings Playbook, Adam Rosenberg, whose work includes Creed III and Into the Spider-Verse director Rodney Rothman. David Schulenburg, whose work includes the Spider-Verse shorts is co-producing. Rick Mischel and Fonda Snyder are executive producers.