For the first time, characters from Netflix's most-watched film are floating down Manhattan's streets as a giant parade balloon. Derpy and Sussie from KPop Demon Hunters will make their debut in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade this year — a moment fans have been waiting for since the movie became a streaming phenomenon.
Netflix released a behind-the-scenes video showing the balloon being inflated and prepped by handlers, and the response was immediate. "Derpy and sussie floating through the macy's day parade like icons," Netflix wrote, capturing what fans were already feeling. For people who've watched the film, seeing these characters come to life at that scale — towering over the parade route — hits differently than watching them on a screen.
From streaming to the street
What makes this moment worth paying attention to is what it signals about how entertainment has shifted. Ten years ago, parade balloons featured characters from established franchises with decades of cultural weight. Now, a film that found its massive audience through streaming gets the same honor. It's a quiet reflection of where people actually spend their time and what captures their imagination.
We're a new kind of news feed.
Regular news is designed to drain you. We're a non-profit built to restore you. Every story we publish is scored for impact, progress, and hope.
Start Your News DetoxThe parade organizers are leaning into the film's aesthetic too. Handlers are expected to dress as demons to match the movie's theme, turning the balloon into a full visual experience rather than just a floating character. It's the kind of detail that shows the parade isn't treating this as a corporate checkbox — they're actually thinking about what fans want to see.
Other KPop Demon Hunters elements will appear throughout the parade, so it's not just one moment. If you're tuning in on Thanksgiving morning with family or friends, there's a good chance someone in the room will suddenly point at the screen and say "wait, that's from the movie." That's when the parade becomes less about tradition and more about shared culture — the thing that actually makes holidays feel connected to right now.
The balloon debuts November 28th.
