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Sadik Hossain

2025’s ‘box office juggernaut’ is here with $273M worldwide – and it hasn’t even released in the U.S. yet

Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle has become a massive success in international markets ahead of its highly anticipated US release on September 12, 2025. The first film in a trilogy adapting the series finale has already earned impressive numbers during its limited release in Japan and select Asian territories. Sony Pictures is distributing the film through Crunchyroll, with projections ranging from $35 million to as high as $60 million for its opening weekend.

The film has achieved remarkable milestones since its July release in Japan. It set new records for opening day gross, single-day revenue, and opening weekend totals in Japanese cinema history. Within just 55 days, Infinity Castle has surpassed iconic films like Spirited Away to become the second highest-grossing anime film in Japan. The movie has maintained the number one spot at the Japanese box office for six consecutive weeks.

Industry experts are calling Infinity Castle already a “box office juggernaut” with its current worldwide gross standing at $273 million. The film has dominated international markets, particularly in Asia where it broke multiple regional records. In South Korea, it has remained at the top of the box office for three consecutive weekends, earning over $30 million. The success across Asian markets has positioned the film as one of the biggest anime releases of 2025.

Records on the horizon for US release

The film is poised to break several US box office records when it opens nationwide. Advance ticket sales have already set new marks for anime films, with Fandango reporting the best first-day presales for an anime movie of all time. The previous record was held by Jujutsu Kaisen 0 which broke multiple anime box office records during its 2022 release.

Infinity Castle is expected to surpass the $31 million opening weekend record currently held by Pokemon: The First Movie from 1999. According to Deadline, if projections hold, the film could earn between $45 million and $60 million, which would make it the highest-grossing opening weekend for an anime film in US history. The movie will benefit from premium format screenings including IMAX and Premium Large Format theaters across 3,300 locations.

The film features both Japanese audio with English subtitles and an English dub version. Zach Aguilar returns as the voice of protagonist Tanjiro Kamado, while Channing Tatum joins the English voice cast as new character Keizo. Early fan screenings began on September 9 for Crunchyroll subscribers, generating additional buzz ahead of the wide release.

With over 60,000 showtimes planned across the United States, Infinity Castle represents 21 percent of all nationwide screenings for its opening weekend. This level of theatrical saturation is unprecedented for an anime release in America. The film’s success could help establish anime as a major box office force in western markets, following the growing popularity of anime across all entertainment mediums.

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