By Janet H. Cho
McDonald's is hoping to hitch on to the recent success of Netflix's Oscar-winning KPop Demon Hunters with adult breakfast and lunch/dinner meals featuring characters from the animated movie.
The limited-time promotion centers on sandwiches, fries, and beverage tie-ins as part of a larger growth strategy that includes bringing Korean-influenced items inspired by the film. It follows last year's promotion focused on the South Korean Kpop entertainers BTS, with meals that came with 14 collectible mini figurines of the seven band members.
McDonald's will begin selling the Demon Hunters meals on Tuesday.
Some say the KPop Demon Hunters tie-in could be a huge success. Restaurant analyst Mark Kalinowski told MarketWatch that sales could hit $100 million in the first few days, pointing to the success and enthusiastic fandom for the Sony Animation Pictures' film.
McDonald's has been building on recent sale-store sales momentum, with global comparable sales rising 5.7% in the fourth quarter, including a 6.8% bump higher in the U.S. CEO Chris Kempczinski said in February that the burger chain is working hard on affordability and value, helping to boost same-store sales.
But some say creating a promotion that draws diners depends on offering them something they want, rather than simply focusing on price.
Placer.ai, which tracks foot traffic to U.S. restaurants, pointed out that weekly foot traffic ticked up only 0.3% after McDonald's introduced its Extra Value Meals in early September. But weekly visits increased 10.8% after it released its Halloween Boo Buckets in mid-October, and rose 14.1% after it launched The Grinch Meal in early December.
Similarly, Restaurant Brands International's Burger King saw bigger spikes in restaurant foot traffic after rolling out its nearly $20 Advent Calendar (up 2.1%) and its limited-time SpongeBob menu in November (up 18.3%) than it did during its discount-focused Treat Week and Perks Week promotions, suggesting that the strongest boost to visits come from experiential promotions and culturally resonant limited-time offers -- "not from discounts," Placer.ai said.
The latest McDonald's meals center on Demon Hunters characters. McDonald's Saja Boys Breakfast includes a sausage McMuffin sandwich with egg, a sauce called Spicy Saja Sauce, hash browns, and a small "Soda Pop, " like the fictional boy band's hit song.
The Huntr/x Meal includes a 10-piece chicken McNuggets, a medium drink, fries seasoned with soy, garlic, sesame, and spice seasoning (inspired by the girl group's obsession with instant ramen), and two special sauces.
There's also a Derpy McFlurry vanilla soft serve with berry popping pearls and a wild berry sauce. McDonald's did not say how much the menu items will cost. The promo also includes collectible photocards of the characters with QR codes that unlock access to exclusive fan content, including finding out which group wins the Battle for the Fans.
The food tie-ins build on the KPDH-inspired dishes and drinks served at two Netflix House immersive exhibits in Philadelphia and Dallas, as well as an online Netflix.shop store that sells merchandise from the movie.
KPop Demon Hunters still holds Netflix's record as the most-watched English-language film of all time, with more than 500 million views worldwide since its release in June 2025. The film won two Oscars this month for Best Animated Features and Best Original Song for "Golden," and directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans have confirmed that they are working on a sequel.
"We're always looking for authentic ways to bring fans deeper into the worlds they love," said Marian Lee, Netflix's chief marketing officer.
Write to Janet H. Cho at janet.cho@dowjones.com
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March 29, 2026 15:09 ET (19:09 GMT)
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