Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Sets Anime Box Office Record

LOS ANGELES, CA – “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – the Movie Infinity Castle” has set a new record for the biggest opening weekend gross for an anime film in the United States, bringing in an estimated $70 million. This record-breaking weekend occurred shortly after its release on September 14, 2025.

On Friday alone, the film generated an impressive $33 million at the box office. It surpassed the previous record held by Warner Bros. Pictures’ 1999 anime classic “Pokémon: The First Movie,” which had an opening weekend gross of $31 million.

“Infinity Castle” is the highest-grossing opening for the “Demon Slayer” franchise, outdoing the $21 million earned by “Demon Slayer: Mugen Train” in 2021 and the $11.5 million taken in by “Demon Slayer: To the Hashira Training” in 2024.

Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Comscore, remarked, “We can easily call this a surprise hit,” adding, “To have this one dominate the [domestic box office], I don’t think anyone could see this coming.”

Describing “Infinity Castle” as a “box office juggernaut,” Dergarabedian noted that it marks the sixth-largest September opening, according to Comscore data. This weekend’s performance comes as only the fifth anime film released in the U.S. in the last three years, as per Box Office Mojo.

Shawn Robbins, director of analytics at Fandango, suggested that the genre has been preparing for a performance like this. “That’s really crescendoing into this blockbuster-level type of box office that kicks off the final trilogy,” he stated, highlighting the growing fanbase among younger audiences, particularly Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

Alongside “Infinity Castle,” the number two spot at the box office was claimed by Warner Bros.’ “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” which earned $26.1 million, while Focus Features’ “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” took in $18.1 million.

Lionsgate’s adaptation of Stephen King’s 1979 novel, “The Long Walk,” rounded out the top four with $11.5 million. This box office weekend reflects a wider trend of films appealing to diverse audiences, though horror has notably grabbed attention as fall approaches.

Dergarabedian pointed out that the carefully selected film lineup this month augurs well for ticket sales in the weeks ahead, especially with Universal Pictures’ “Him,” directed by Jordan Peele, set to open next weekend. The recent busy box office signals optimism for theaters, especially after a disappointing end to the summer season.

“For many years, we would see strong Augusts and slow Septembers. It’s reversed this year in a lot of ways,” Robbins added, signifying an interesting shift in audience engagement.