The new anime film Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle has dominated the U.S. box office, debuting to a massive $70 million and setting a new record for the biggest opening weekend ever for an anime film. The film’s opening more than doubled the previous benchmark of $31 million, which was set by Pokémon: The First Movie in 1999.
This unexpected success has provided a much-needed boost to the September box office, which was projected to be sluggish. It also bolsters the hopes of exhibitors for a stronger-than-expected fall season, following a disappointing summer.
A Record-Breaking Global Haul
The film’s performance is a clear victory for Sony’s anime distribution banner, Crunchyroll. Its $70 million domestic haul makes it Sony’s biggest domestic opener in over two years, surpassing hits like Bad Boys: Ride or Die.
Globally, ‘Infinity Castle’ has already earned over $300 million, including more than $200 million in its native Japan, where it has become the country’s third-highest-grossing release of all time.
Its global premiere has also allowed it to surpass the lifetime earnings of its predecessor, ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Mugen Train,’ in new markets.
The film’s success reflects a broader trend of growing anime viewership. Paul Dergarabedian, an analyst at ComScore, noted the genre’s increasing global appeal. “Put ‘demon’ in your title and you’re good to go,” he said, adding that “Animated films just lend themselves visually to the big screen experience and it’s a genre that is truly global.”
‘Infinity Castle’ is the first of what is intended to be a series-capping trilogy. It is playing in both subtitled and dubbed versions and is showing in many premium large format theaters such as Imax, which command higher ticket prices. The film’s success follows the surprise breakout of other titles, like Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters, which also topped the box office when it was given a limited theatrical release as a sing-along version last month.
Read more: KPop Demon Hunters Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Film Ever With 236 Million Views
The Demon Slayer film’s impressive performance comes at a time when other established animated studios, such as Disney and Universal Pictures, are struggling with original animated titles at the box office. Some of these studios have opted to pursue live-action remakes of their popular hits, such as Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon.
