Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Poised for Record Opening Weekend

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Sony and Crunchyroll‘s highly anticipated film, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle, is projected to make a significant impact at the box office this weekend. Friday’s predictions suggest a possible opening of $28 million, including $11.4 million from previews, leading to a potential three-day total of $45 million.

Some industry insiders are even more optimistic, estimating the film could reach $35 million on Friday alone, with the entire weekend total possibly exceeding $60 million. These varying predictions stem from differing views on the market reach of the film, which largely targets existing fans of the Demon Slayer franchise.

This film marks a unique point for anime in theaters, as it has already set a record for the highest preview earnings for an anime film. The previous record holder was Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, which earned $4.3 million in previews. Social media buzz around Infinity Castle is also promising, with over 200 million followers engaged across platforms like TikTok and Instagram, leading to a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 99%.

However, the film’s success isn’t guaranteed to expand beyond its core audience. Past performances, like the opening of Dragon Ball Super: Super Broly, revealed significant drops in ticket sales after the initial Friday, which impacts how studios forecast potential earnings.

In addition to Infinity Castle, other films are also vying for attention this weekend. The Conjuring: Last Rites is estimated to earn around $29 million, with a running total close to $134.6 million domestically. Focus Features’ Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale could bring in about $15 million, while Lionsgate’s The Long Walk is projected to earn $10 million over the weekend.

The box office totals for this weekend promise to make it one of the highest-grossing weekends in mid-September post-Covid.