The anime juggernaut shows no signs of slowing down—before even hitting major markets like the U.S., Europe, and China.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle—Part 1: Akaza Returns, directed by Haruo Sotozaki, is rewriting the global box office playbook.
According to trade analyst Luiz Fernando, the film has already raked in a staggering $28.5 million from IMAX screenings alone—without launching in the world’s biggest markets. Currently running in Asia Pacific territories including Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand, the film’s early performance hints at a massive global impact once it rolls out internationally.
In South Korea, the movie opened to a record-breaking $13 million in its first 3-day weekend, setting a new benchmark for animated features in the country.
But the real triumph came in its home country. In Japan, Infinity Castle has officially surpassed James Cameron’s Titanic with a total of ¥28 billion (~$190.1 million) in box office earnings, climbing to the 3rd highest-grossing film of all time in Japan.
Not just in revenue—Demon Slayer also broke into the elite league of audience admissions. With 20.3 million tickets sold, it overtook Disney’s Frozen, becoming the 3rd most-watched film in Japan’s cinematic history.
The film continues the epic saga of Tanjiro Kamado and the Demon Slayer Corps as they descend into Muzan Kibutsuji’s domain—the terrifying Infinity Castle—for one final, climactic showdown. The return of Akaza and the rise of the Upper Rank demons sets the stage for one of the most intense arcs in anime history.
With anticipation building for its North American release in September, global exhibitors are preparing for a box office surge that could see Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle enter the ranks of the top-grossing animated films of all time.
Fans worldwide are bracing for the final battle—anime, it seems, is no longer a niche but a global box office force to be reckoned with.
