Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle has officially surpassed 17.6 billion yen ($120 million USD) at the Japanese box office, reaching the milestone in just 17 days since its July 18 release. With over 12.5 million admissions, the film is now on track to break into the all-time top five highest-grossing Japanese movies domestically sometime this weekend, currently sitting just behind Princess Mononoke (20.1 billion yen) and Howl’s Moving Castle (19.6 billion yen).
According to Kogyo Tsushinsha, Infinity Castle brought in 2.457 billion yen ($16.75 million USD) with over 1.74 million admissions during its third weekend (August 1–3) and only saw a measly 21% drop from its second weekend, which was strong enough to maintain its No. 1 position for the third week in a row.
The Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle movie stormed into theaters in Japan with a historic opening, shattering box office records and setting a new benchmark not just for anime films, but for the Japanese film industry as a whole.
Released on July 18, the film earned a staggering ¥1.63 billion (~$11 million) on its first day alone, surpassing the previous all-time record held by 2020’s Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, which had earned ¥1.28 billion (~$12 million USD at 2020 exchange rates) on its opening day.
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By the end of its opening weekend, Infinity Castle reached an estimated ¥5.9 billion (~$40 million)—officially breaking its own weekend record and eclipsing Mugen Train’s then-historic ¥4.6 billion ($44 million in 2020) three-day debut.
While the current devaluation of the yen against the U.S. dollar tempers the film’s international monetary optics, the numbers remain astronomical by every metric. In 2020, the yen stood stronger against the dollar, meaning Mugen Train’s opening numbers appeared larger in dollar terms. However, Infinity Castle comfortably surpasses it in pure yen volume, solidifying it as the biggest theatrical anime opening ever in Japan.
Following that record-breaking debut, the film earned 3.099 billion yen ($20.86 million USD) with over 2.21 million admissions in its second weekend (July 25–27), seeing only a 44% drop from its opening weekend.
Infinity Castle has already reached 112% of the three-week total gross of the franchise’s 2020 hit Mugen Train, and has become the fastest Japanese film in history to hit the 10 billion yen milestone.
A Monumental Start to a Climactic Trilogy
The film marks the first installment in a three-part adaptation of the final arc of Demon Slayer, which sees the Demon Slayer Corps infiltrating Muzan’s stronghold—the titular Infinity Castle.
Directed by Haruo Sotozaki, with music by Yuki Kajiura and Go Shiina and animation from Ufotable, the movie retains the same powerhouse creative team that elevated Mugen Train to international acclaim.
Adding to the fanfare are two brand-new theme songs, “A World Where the Sun Never Rises” by Aimer and “Shine in the Cruel Night” by LiSA. Both artists are no strangers to the franchise; Aimer’s “Zankyosanka” is already a fan favorite, and LiSA’s “Gurenge” is the song that the fans probably relate with Demon Slayer the most. The new songs are now out on all major streaming platforms globally.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle Global Rollout Begins in August
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle Global Theatrical Release Dates:
- August 14: Malaysia, Singapore, Pakistan
- August 15: Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam
- August 20: Philippines
- September 11: Mexico, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Caribbean (Jamaica, Aruba, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, Curacao), Central America, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lithuania, Macedonia, Netherlands, Oman, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland (Italian-speaking), Syria, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates
- September 12: India, Mongolia, Spain, Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Kenya, Latvia, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Romania, Southern Africa, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom
- September 17: Belgium, France, French-speaking Africa, Luxembourg, Switzerland (French-speaking)
- September 18: Moldova
- September 25: Austria, Germany, Switzerland (German-speaking).
The film will be released in Japanese with English subtitles, as well as English-dubbed versions, including IMAX and premium large-format screenings in select territories.
A New Era of Anime Blockbusters
While Mugen Train captured global headlines during the pandemic by becoming the highest-grossing Japanese film of all time ($507 million worldwide), Infinity Castle seems poised to go one step even further. Whether it can match Mugen Train’s international total remains to be seen, but it will certainly give the film’s domestic total of 40 Billion Yen a run for its, well, money.
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Demon Slayer is once again leading the charge for anime films and anime on the global stage, and we cannot wait to see the heights it can reach in the coming months.
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