Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Breaks Anime Opening Record

LOS ANGELES, CA — “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – the Movie Infinity Castle” broke the record for the largest opening weekend for an anime film, earning an estimated $70 million. Released on September 14, 2025, the film was distributed in North America by Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Crunchyroll.

The movie made an impressive $33 million on its opening day, surpassing the previous record held by Warner Bros. Pictures‘ “Pokémon: The First Movie,” which grossed $31 million in 1999. This also marks the best opening for a “Demon Slayer” film, topping FUNimation‘s “Demon Slayer: Mugen Train” which earned $21 million in 2021 and Sony’s “Demon Slayer: To the Hashira Training” with $11.5 million in 2024.

Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Comscore, described “Infinity Castle” as a “surprise hit,” noting its dominance at the box office. He highlighted that it is now the sixth-largest September opening, and added that it is one of only five anime films released domestically in the last three years, according to Box Office Mojo.

Shawn Robbins, director of analytics at Fandango, noted that the anime genre has been building toward a strong performance like this. Robbins pointed to the growing fanbase among younger audiences, particularly Gen Z and Gen Alpha, and emphasized its role in driving box office success.

The second highest-grossing film this weekend was Warner Bros.’ “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” which earned $26.1 million, followed by Focus Features’ “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” at $18.1 million. Lionsgate’s “The Long Walk,” based on Stephen King’s work, came in fourth with $11.5 million.

This weekend’s strong results showcase a diverse lineup of films appealing to all ages, with horror films particularly resonating with audiences as fall approaches. Dergarabedian predicts that the well-curated slate of releases could lead to robust ticket sales in the coming weeks, especially with Universal Pictures’ and Jordan Peele’s “Him” set to launch next weekend.

The positive box office performance is encouraging for theaters, which have recently faced challenges. “Traditionally, we’ve seen solid Augusts followed by slower Septembers. This year, that pattern has reversed,” Robbins noted.