New Hit Anime Movie Surpasses Hayao Miyazaki’s Highest-Grossing Film After 24 Years

The first movie in the new Demon Slayer trilogy, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, has made history at the Japanese box office by surpassing one of Hayao Miyazaki’s most famous films, Spirited Away.

The Studio Ghibli classic had held a top spot for decades, but Infinity Castle has now become the fastest Japanese film to reach $214 million domestically. At this pace, it could soon challenge Spirited Away globally.

According to Box Office data, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle has earned $272 million so far and holds an IMDb rating of 8.7.

By comparison, Spirited Away made $360 million worldwide and has an IMDb rating of 8.6. Currently, Infinity Castle only trails behind 2020’s Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, showing why Miyazaki himself considers the franchise a major rival.

The movie is set to open in the United States this weekend, with Channing Tatum starring in the English dub. Sony projects an opening weekend of around $35 million, but some independent trackers are estimating it could reach over $40 million, according to The Wrap. Box Office Pro has even suggested the film could hit $60 million in its first weekend.

If it earns more than $40 million, Infinity Castle would break the record set by Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back, which made $31 million in its Friday-to-Sunday opening and $51 million over five days.

With $272 million already earned, the movie has a strong chance of entering the top 10 highest-grossing films of the year. This list is currently led by titles such as Ne Zha 2, F1, and Superman.

Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle is proving to be a global powerhouse and shows the growing impact of anime films outside Japan. Fans are eagerly waiting to see how it performs in the US and if it can challenge Miyazaki’s long-standing box office legacy.

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