'KPop Demon Hunters' Halloween costumes are sold out. Parents are frantic.

"Like the parents of many 7-year-old girls, Natasha Marks had a big Halloween problem. Her daughter wanted to be Mira, the red-haired, blade-wielding heroine of "KPop Demon Hunters." The Mira costume was sold out online, but Spirit Halloween's website said it was available at the store near Marks in Manassas, Virginia. She drove over, even though she knew she might be too late."

""I knew it was likely sold out because I've been seeing tons of people on Facebook saying, 'Where can I get a Rumi/Zoey/Mira costume? My kid is having a meltdown,'" Marks said. She went to the store, but, as expected, the costumes were sold out. Desperate, she asked the clerk: "If I give you $50 and my phone number, would you call me when the new shipment comes in?" She said he chuckled, but declined."

"Let's just say it: This is a movie production company's nightmare: It's not what Netflix wants. It has a megahit kids' movie, but hardly any merchandise to sell. Even more horrifying, the movie is currently peaking in cultural penetration - its soundtrack has three songs in the Billboard Hot 100, including "Golden" at No. 3 - the week before Halloween. And Google released a chart showing the top search terms for Halloween costumes: Various "KPDH" characters are the top 5 most searched."

"KPop Demon Hunters" became a runaway Netflix kids' movie that generated intense Halloween costume demand. Spirit Halloween holds the official license but produced limited quantities, and online listings and most stores are sold out. Parents have searched widely and traveled to stores seeking Mira, Rumi, and Zoey outfits, sometimes offering cash for restock alerts. Netflix said interest from licensing partners had been "soft" before the franchise exploded, leaving limited merchandise during peak cultural exposure. The film's soundtrack placed multiple songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and Google searches show KPDH characters dominating Halloween costume queries.

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