Box Office: ‘Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle’ Smashes Opening Records in Japan with $49.4M Debut

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As a hardcore gamer, I can hardly contain my excitement as I eagerly await the release of the long-anticipated sequel to “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle.” This anime sensation is already breaking box-office records in Japan and has me counting down the days until its global premiere!

As a passionate gamer, I couldn’t wait to catch the latest anime epic on the big screen over the weekend. On its first day, it shattered Japan’s previous single-day box office record with an astounding $11.1 million from 1.16 million viewers! By Sunday, the total had climbed to a massive $37.3 million. But here’s where things got even more exciting – Monday was a national holiday in Japan, and the movie raked in an additional $12.1 million on that day alone, bringing the opening weekend earnings to an incredible $49.4 million! Needless to say, it set a new opening-weekend record in the country. The hype is real!

The movie, titled “Infinity Castle,” achieved remarkable milestones for Imax in the nation. Showing on only 59 premium screens, it grossed an impressive $3 million during the typical Friday-Sunday weekend, and an additional $3.5 million when accounting for the Marine Day holiday on Monday. This figure sets a new record for the biggest opening weekend in the market for the format. The per-screen average was roughly $48,000.

The initial release of “Infinity Castle” mirrors the sensational success of last year’s “Demon Slayer: Mugen Train,” which broke records as Japan’s highest-grossing movie ever during the pandemic, earning an astonishing total of over $365 million (¥40 billion). The opening weekend earnings for “Infinity Castle” were approximately 19% higher than those of “Mugen Train,” indicating that this new installment may be on track for another record-breaking run, contingent upon positive word of mouth and its ability to maintain popularity.

Under the guidance of director Haruo Sotozaki from ufotable, a renowned animation studio, the movie “Infinity Castle” brings to life the final storyline of Koyoharu Gotouge’s popular manga series. The main voice actors, including Natsuki Hanae (as Tanjiro), Akari Kitō (Nezuko), Hiro Shimono (Zenitsu), and Yoshitsugu Matsuoka (Inosuke), reprise their roles as the Demon Slayer Corps prepare for a decisive battle against the demon king, Muzan Kibutsuji. This production was jointly funded by Aniplex, a Sony Group subsidiary. The film will be distributed internationally starting Sept. 12 through Toho, Aniplex, and Crunchyroll, with Imax screenings scheduled in more than 40 countries worldwide.

As a dedicated gamer and anime enthusiast, I’ve been witnessing an incredible shift in the Japanese film industry over the past few years. It seems like the scale is tipping heavily towards local content, particularly animation. In 2024, Japanese films raked in a staggering $1.01 billion (equivalent to ¥155.8 billion), claiming around 75% of the market share. Foreign films, on the other hand, took a hit, dropping to $329 million (around ¥51.2 billion), largely due to a lackluster performance from major Hollywood blockbusters. The success story here is anime – it accounted for over half of all ticket sales! This is thanks to the enduring popularity of homegrown franchises like Detective Conan and Haikyu!!. Interestingly, the overseas market for anime keeps growing at an unprecedented pace.

Among North American theater companies, Imax stands nearly unique in capitalizing on this trend. The organization is broadening its regional footing by striking new site agreements with Japanese exhibitionists and intensifying partnerships with studios and distributors for Imax showings of prominent anime productions.

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2025-07-23 12:24