"Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Infinity Castle" stormed into theaters this weekend with a jaw-dropping $70 million domestic debut, instantly cementing its place in the history books as the biggest opening ever for an anime film. The landmark launch more than doubled the previous record held by 1999's "Pokémon: The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back", which bowed to $31 million and for decades seemed untouchable in the U.S. market.
The release of "Infinity Castle" marks a watershed moment not just for anime, but for theatrical exhibition overall. The film, envisioned as the first installment in a trilogy designed to cap off the "Demon Slayer" saga, is playing in both subtitled and dubbed formats across the country. It also commands a strong presence in premium large format venues such as Imax and Dolby Cinema, where higher ticket prices added significantly to its box office muscle.
Globally, the film has already surpassed $300 million, including a staggering $200 million in Japan alone, where it now ranks as the nation's third-highest-grossing film of all time. This international dominance underscores the immense cultural footprint of "Demon Slayer", a franchise that has grown from a manga series into a global multimedia juggernaut encompassing television, film, merchandise, and video games.
Behind the film's domestic rollout is Crunchyroll, Sony's anime distribution powerhouse. After a relatively muted summer that saw titles like Caught Stealing struggle and mid-tier performers such as "Karate Kid: Legends" and "I Know What You Did Last Summer" deliver only modest returns, "Infinity Castle" represents a thunderous rebound for the studio. The film even surpassed Sony's live-action tentpole "Bad Boys: Ride or Die" ($56.5 million) to claim the company's largest U.S. opening in more than two years.
"This is a huge validation not only for Crunchyroll but for the theatrical strength of anime overall," one studio insider noted. "It shows audiences are hungry for big-screen anime experiences, especially when the brand is as beloved as Demon Slayer."
The arrival of "Infinity Castle" pushed last weekend's reigning champ, Warner Bros. and New Line's "The Conjuring: Last Rites", down to second place. The horror sequel tumbled 69% to $26.1 million, though it has still managed to amass an impressive $131.1 million domestically.
Together, "Infinity Castle" and "Last Rites" have injected fresh life into what was expected to be a sluggish September, reversing industry concerns after a soft summer box office that saw several franchise films underperform. Analysts suggest that the success of these two titles is reshaping exhibitor expectations for the fall season, which had been forecasted as an uphill climb.
"It's been a rollercoaster at the multiplex," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at ComScore. "You have surprise hits like Weapons on one side, and then established brands like Marvel no longer operating at their peak. But a weekend like this gives theater owners real hope heading into the final stretch of the year."
Infinity Castle wasn't the only fresh title drawing crowds. Universal's specialty arm Focus Features launched "Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale", a farewell chapter to the long-running aristocratic saga. The film bowed to $18.1 million, an improvement over 2022's "Downton Abbey: A New Era", which opened to $16 million.
Meanwhile, Lionsgate tested Stephen King's enduring popularity with "The Long Walk", directed by Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games). The dystopian adaptation opened to $11.5 million, good for fourth place. While muted by blockbuster standards, the film's modest $20 million budget cushions financial risk. Lionsgate, which has struggled with a string of underperformers like "Americana" and "Ballerina", is betting on a stronger end to 2025 with buzzy projects including "The Housemaid", Aziz Ansari's comedy "Good Fortune", and the magic-heist sequel "Now You See Me: Now You Don't".
Also opening, Bleecker Street unveiled "Spinal Tap II: The End Continues", a follow-up to the cult classic mockumentary. Though it only mustered $1.7 million to land in tenth place, its niche appeal and legacy status could help fuel legs in specialty markets.
Disney reissued Pixar's "Toy Story" for its 30th anniversary, pulling in $3.5 million from 2,375 theaters, enough to round out the weekend's top five. On the arthouse circuit, Mubi's "The History of Sound"-a period romance starring Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor-generated $85,786 from just four theaters, a robust per-screen average of $21,446.
The success of "Infinity Castle" drove total weekend box office receipts to an estimated $145 million, making it one of the highest-grossing September frames ever. That figure represents a 50% year-over-year improvement compared to the same weekend in 2024, when "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" topped charts in its sophomore outing.
"September is becoming a month to remember at the box office," Dergarabedian said. "And that's good news, because summer really ended with a whimper. Infinity Castle has turned that narrative around."
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