The first “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle” film has achieved a historic milestone, earning an estimated $70 million in its U.S. opening weekend and setting a new record for the highest-grossing anime film debut in North American box office history. The film, distributed by Sony Pictures’ Crunchyroll, significantly surpassed the previous record held for over two decades by “Pokémon: The First Movie,” which debuted with $31 million in 1999.
The remarkable success of “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle” not only secured the top spot at the domestic box office, outperforming new Hollywood releases like “The Conjuring: Last Rites” and “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale,” but also underscored the surging global appeal of Japanese anime.
A Record-Breaking Opening Weekend for Anime
The “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle” film, which premiered in the U.S. and Canada on September 12, 2025, after preview screenings, quickly dominated the box office. Its opening weekend gross of $70 million included an impressive $33 million on Friday, $21.6 million on Saturday, and a projected $15.4 million on Sunday, across 3,315 locations. This debut is not only the biggest opening weekend for an anime film but also the highest-grossing animated film in 2025 domestically and boasts the best opening for an animated title in September.
The film’s success extends beyond North America, as it also claimed the global number one spot, with an international opening of $132.1 million, pushing its worldwide total to over $400 million by initial estimates. It achieved record-breaking anime openings in numerous regions, including Mexico ($9.8 million), Brazil ($4.4 million), Peru ($2.8 million), Central America ($2.4 million), Argentina ($2.2 million), and Chile ($2.2 million).
Surpassing Previous Anime Box Office Giants
Prior to “Infinity Castle,” “Pokémon: The First Movie” held the U.S. anime opening record with its $31 million take in 1999. The “Demon Slayer” film broke this 26-year-old record on its opening day alone, grossing an estimated $33 million on Friday.
Another significant comparison is with a previous entry in its own franchise, “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train.” Released in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, “Mugen Train” made nearly $50 million in the U.S. and Canada upon its theatrical release in April 2021, ranking as the second-highest anime film in the U.S. before this weekend. With its current trajectory, “Infinity Castle” is expected to soon surpass “Pokémon: The First Movie’s” total domestic gross of $85 million to become the highest-grossing domestic anime title of all time.
The “Infinity Castle” Arc: A Pivotal Moment
The “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle” is the first in a planned trilogy of films designed to conclude the popular anime television series. Unlike previous theatrical releases like “To the Swordsmith Village” (2023) and “To the Hashira Training” (2024), which were compilations of anime episodes, “Infinity Castle” is a feature-length adaptation of the manga’s corresponding arc, akin to “Mugen Train.”
The film directly follows the fourth season of the anime and plunges Tanjiro Kamado, the Hashira, and the Demon Slayer Corps into the titular Infinity Castle, the stronghold of the formidable demon Muzan Kibutsuji and his Upper Moon demons. This sets the stage for the final, climactic battle against the demonic forces. The film, directed by Haruo Sotozaki and produced by Ufotable, has garnered strong critical and audience reception, with 97% from critics and 98% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, alongside an “A” CinemaScore.
The Growing Influence of Anime in the U.S.
The extraordinary performance of “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle” highlights anime’s increasing mainstream appeal and commercial viability in the North American market. Rob Pereyda, founder of anime-focused consultancy Henshin, noted that “While anime itself is no longer counterculture in the U.S. like it was a generation ago, it is still providing a breath of fresh air to fans here.”
Sony Pictures, through its Crunchyroll streaming service and distribution arm, has been instrumental in bringing these anime blockbusters to a wider audience. The success of “Demon Slayer” alongside other anime-influenced hits like Netflix’s “Kpop Demon Hunters” demonstrates the significant and growing audience for the genre. This trend is a welcome development for theater owners at a time when other film genres have experienced struggles.
