Netflix‘s K-Pop Demon Hunters may be filled with supernatural battles, elaborate performances, and infectious songs, but beneath all the action lies a story about identity, shame, and learning to accept yourself.
For writer Hannah McMechan, those themes became unexpectedly personal.
In a recent interview with PEOPLE, McMechan revealed that she discovered she was queer while helping create the animated film, which follows a trio of K-pop superstars who secretly protect their fans from demonic forces threatening humanity.
“When I started the project, I had no idea that I was queer,” McMechan told the outlet. “Then we went into the pandemic, and everyone was soul-searching and realizing things about themselves.”
The 30-year-old co-wrote the film alongside longtime writing partner Danya Jimenez. Over the six years spent developing the project, McMechan began unpacking her own sexuality and eventually realized she was bisexual.
That personal journey mirrored one of the film’s central storylines.
Throughout K-Pop Demon Hunters, Rumi, one-third of K-pop group HUNTR/X, struggles to hide the fact that she is half demon out of fear that the people closest to her will reject her if they know the truth.
As McMechan navigated her own identity behind the scenes, she found herself relating more and more to the character she was helping write.
“I was so afraid of telling anyone in my life, which ironically is very accurate to the movie,” McMechan said. “I was having this journey with my sexuality and not wanting to tell anyone and feeling ashamed of it.”
Interestingly, she says those themes weren’t intentionally inserted into the story as a reflection of her life. At the time, she wasn’t even openly discussing her sexuality with herself, let alone with the rest of the creative team.
“I wasn’t even talking about this when we were writing,” she explained. “I was like, ‘I’m not telling anyone this, and I don’t even want to accept this to be true.’”
Still, she believes those feelings naturally found their way onto the page.
The Film’s Queer Themes Were Intentional, Even If They Weren’t Explicit
In an interview with Gayety, director Maggie Kang said the creative team often viewed Rumi’s storyline through a queer lens.
“We used to always compare it—Rumi’s story—as like she’s coming out of the closet and coming clean to her parents who is wanting her to be something that she’s not,” Kang said. “So yeah, it was just kind of naturally part of the crafting of it and the storytelling.”
Ji-young Yoo, who voices Zoey, also connected the film’s larger themes to self-acceptance.
“The demons in a lot of ways are really a metaphor for the critics both in the world around you and the ones in your head,” she said. “I think the women in the film are powerful because they embrace who they are and they’re proud of who they are.”
For Yoo, that’s ultimately the message she hopes younger audiences walk away with: embracing every part of yourself while still having fun along the way.
One Scene Took on a Whole New Meaning
As production progressed, McMechan found herself becoming increasingly emotional during one specific scene.
By the fourth and fifth screenings, a moment in which Rumi asks her mother, “Why won’t you love me — all of me?” began to hit especially hard, reminding her of her own relationship with her religious family.
She says she wants people to know that difficult family dynamics are far more common than they often appear online.
While many queer people share joyful coming out stories, that wasn’t necessarily her experience. Even now, her family is still learning how to accept her identity, and she continues to navigate those complicated conversations.
“They’re still trying to accept it and still asking if I’m still queer, because they think it’s a phase. I’m trying to stay strong.”
McMechan is in a long-term relationship with actor Terry Hu, whom audiences may recognize from Disney’s ZOMBIES 3 and the queer teen comedy Prom Dates. The pair have been together for about four years.
What’s Next for Hannah?
McMechan revealed she is not currently working on the sequel to K-Pop Demon Hunters, though Netflix has greenlit the project. However, we are hopeful she will be asked to return.
In the meantime, McMechan and Jimenez are already working on their next project, Tim Burton’s remake of Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman, starring Margot Robbie.
If K-Pop Demon Hunters is any indication, audiences will be eager to see whatever they create next.
