Maggie Kang

Maggie Kang (강민지) turned a lunchtime pitch into the most-watched Netflix original of all time. Born in Seoul and raised in Toronto, Kang studied classical animation at Sheridan College before being recruited to DreamWorks Animation during her third year. Over the next decade she built her reputation as a story artist on Puss in Boots (2011), Rise of the Guardians (2012), Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016), and Trolls (2016), then stepped up as head of story on The LEGO Ninjago Movie (2017) at Warner Animation Group. Her directorial debut, KPop Demon Hunters (2025), co-directed with Chris Appelhans, grew from an original concept she developed with her husband, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts creator Radford Sechrist. The film, released through Sony Pictures Animation and Netflix, crossed 500 million views and swept all 10 of its Annie Award nominations at the 53rd ceremony in February 2026. The South Korean government awarded Kang the Bo-gwan Order of Cultural Merit in 2025. She served as creative director for Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026, shaping the experience from concept to stage. A sequel is planned for 2029.