Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Becomes Global Box Office Sensation
Anime has taken the box office by storm once again. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle Slays Records — A Look at the Phenomenon Behind A Box Office Tsunami
As Senior Product Manager emeritus of Crunchyroll, today marks a huge milestone as the industry awaited weekend box office numbers for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle. Months and months of planning behind the scenes went into ensuring awareness, anticipation, and a successful launch of this film and today all that hard work paid off. Hats off to the mobile team for their contributions to this huge event.
Record-Breaking Opening
The film opened in Japan in July to unprecedented demand, quickly surpassing opening-day and weekend records. Within weeks, it climbed to second place on Japan’s all-time box office list, overtaking Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away — a film long considered untouchable. Only its predecessor, Mugen Train, sits higher.
Here in the United States, Infinity Castle debuted this weekend with a staggering $70 million opening weekend, the largest ever for an anime film in North America, and making it the number one box office draw. As of mid-September, the movie has earned an estimated $386 million worldwide and continues to draw crowds.
Why It’s Connecting
The success is fueled by a massive loyal and passionate global fan base cultivated through the manga and anime series, combined with high-end production values. Critics have praised its breathtaking visuals and emotional storytelling, while fans have flocked to premium screenings in IMAX and 4DX formats.
The timing has also played a role. Released in multiple languages across Asia, Europe, and the Americas, Infinity Castle avoided the long waits that once plagued international anime releases. This global rollout built hype and ensured fans everywhere could join the conversation.
While cynics doubted the title as too niche, this weekend’s numbers proved otherwise: the sixth biggest opening of September, the best ever for an anime movie, best ever for Crunchyroll, and the best for Sony Pictures over the last two years.
According to EntTelligence, 4.5 million people went to see the film. And despite the constant “dubs vs subs” debate in the halls of Crunchyroll, a total 55% of the audience went to see the subtitled version of the film according to EntTelligence.
More Than a Fandom Hit
What’s striking is how Demon Slayer has leapt from niche anime circles into the cultural mainstream. Once considered a genre for die-hard fans, anime is now competing head-to-head with Hollywood blockbusters. In fact, Demon Slayer bested the other two opening films, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, and the Stephen King thriller The Long Walk. The film’s strong showing in markets from India to the U.S. underscores anime’s new status as a global powerhouse.
The top five domestic openings this weekend:
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle – $70.0 million ($70.0 million total)
The Conjuring: Last Rites – $26.1 million ($131.0 million total)
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale – $18.1 million ($18.1 million total)
The Long Walk – $11.5 million ($11.5 million total)
Toy Story (re-release) – $3.5 million ($3.5 million total)
What’s Next
Infinity Castle is just Part 1 of a planned trilogy, leaving fans eager for the next installment. With its record-smashing debut, the question isn’t whether the series will continue to succeed, but whether it can go even further — potentially surpassing Mugen Train to become the highest-grossing anime movie of all time.
For now, one thing is certain: the Demon Slayer franchise has transformed from a breakout hit into a worldwide cinematic force.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle isn’t just a success story for anime; it’s a landmark moment in global cinema economics. It confirms that serialized manga/anime IP, when handled with care, artistry, and smart distribution, can collapse old boundaries — between animation and mainstream cinema, domestic vs foreign-language films, niche fan interest vs mass appeal.
The question now is not whether anime can break records — Infinity Castle already has — but how many more films will follow its path, and how the industry will adapt to this evolving landscape.