Cinema owners are enjoying a rare September surge as Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie Infinity Castle stormed the box office this weekend, shattering records in both North America and abroad. The anime sequel, handled by Sony-owned Crunchyroll across most global markets outside Japan, far outpaced expectations with a stunning debut.
In the US and Canada, the film pulled in an estimated $70 million from 3,315 theatres, including a monster $33 million haul on Friday alone. That makes it the biggest opening ever for an anime film in North America, as well as Crunchyroll’s best release to date. It is also the strongest animated opening of the year so far and the largest September animated debut on record, even without adjusting for inflation.
Overseas, Demon Slayer took in another $49 million across 49 territories, bringing its global weekend tally to $132.1 million and pushing its worldwide total comfortably past $400 million. Crunchyroll’s share now stands at $177.8 million, reported NBC News.
The blockbuster arrival is good news for US cinemas, which have endured a gloomy August apart from a surprise spike during KPop: Demon Hunters. Industry trackers had predicted Demon Slayer might open at around $35 million to $40 million domestically, with some daring to suggest $50 million. Instead, the turnout was even stronger, proving just how much the anime genre has grown in mainstream popularity. The audience skewed male at 57 percent, with most ticket buyers between the ages of 18 and 34.
Infinity Castle is the first of a three-part film trilogy that adapts the final battle of the hit manga by Koyoharu Gotouge. Directed by Haruo Sotozaki and produced by animation studio Ufotable, the film reunites voice stars Natsuki Hanae, Akari Kitō, Hiro Shimono and Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as the Demon Slayer Corps launch their assault on the demon king Muzan Kibutsuji. The film has already smashed records in Japan since its July debut, where it has earned over $200 million.
Imax has also benefitted from the hype, with 44 percent of North American grosses coming from Imax and other premium large-format screens. The film also set records for Imax screenings in Japan.
But Demon Slayer wasn’t the only story at the box office. Warner Bros. and New Line’s The Conjuring: Last Rites has passed $333 million globally despite slipping 69 percent in its second weekend in North America. Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale debuted at $18.1 million domestically and another $12.3 million overseas, with the UK leading the way at $6.3 million. The film played largely to older female audiences and was warmly received by critics and fans alike.
Lionsgate’s adaptation of Stephen King’s The Long Walk opened in fourth with $11.5 million, while Disney’s celebratory rerelease of Toy Story claimed fifth with $3.5 million, contributing to a worldwide total of $5.2 million. Meanwhile, Hamilton’s stage-to-screen rerelease continues to draw crowds, reaching $15 million in ten days, and Disney also scored with a 60th anniversary rerelease of The Sound of Music at $1.5 million.
At the lower end of the chart, Rob Reiner’s Spinal Tap II: The End Continues opened with $1.7 million, though audiences gave it an A- CinemaScore, hinting that word-of-mouth could carry it further.
