‘Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle’ Smashes Through Major Box Office Milestone
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle has smashed box office records around the world. The Japanese animated film, based on the popular “Infinity Castle” arc of Koyoharu Gotouge’s manga, has already earned over $600 million globally, making it the first Japanese film ever to reach this milestone, according to industry reports.
The movie is directed by Haruo Sotozaki and produced by Ufotable. Unlike previous Demon Slayer adaptations like To the Swordsmith Village and To the Hashira Training, which compiled episodes from the anime, Infinity Castle is a full-length feature film.
It continues the story from the fourth season of the anime and follows previous movies such as Mugen Train (2020). It is also the first part of a planned trilogy, announced in June 2024 right after the fourth season ended.
The film, officially titled Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle – Part 1: Akaza Returns, premiered in Japan on July 18, through Aniplex and Toho. Crunchyroll released it in select Asian countries in August, with a wider international release following in September.
#NEWS @Crunchyroll is bringing Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle to theatres in 2025! pic.twitter.com/sIUJACg3GO
— Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (English) (@DemonSlayerUSA) December 8, 2024
The opening weekend in Japan was historic. On its first day, the film earned ¥1.64 billion (around $11.11 million) and drew 1.15 million viewers, setting a record for the highest opening day in Japanese cinema history.
Its second day brought in ¥1.84 billion (approximately $12.47 million) from 1.26 million tickets sold. By the third day, it made ¥2.03 billion (about $13.76 million) from 1.42 million admissions, marking the highest single-day box office revenue ever in Japan. Over the first three days, the film earned ¥5.52 billion ($37.42 million) from 3.84 million tickets, making it the biggest opening weekend in Japanese film history.
On its fourth day, a public holiday, the movie added ¥1.79 billion ($12.13 million), bringing the total for four days to ¥7.31 billion ($49.55 million) and 5.16 million tickets sold.
Within just eight days of release, Infinity Castle crossed the 10 billion yen mark (around $71 million), making it the fastest film in Japan to hit that milestone, surpassing the previous record set by Mugen Train.
The movie also opened in the U.S. with a $70 million weekend, setting records as the biggest opening for an international film and the largest debut for an R-rated animated movie, according to Box Office reports.
Critics have praised the film for its thrilling action, stunning animation, and engaging story. While some reviewers mentioned minor pacing issues, the overall reception has been positive. The movie has now become the highest-grossing Japanese film worldwide, the highest-grossing film in Japan for 2025, and the second-highest-grossing movie in Japanese box office history.
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