Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Poised to Shatter U.S. Anime Box Office Records, Signaling a New Era for Global Entertainment

The highly anticipated anime film, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle, is generating unprecedented buzz in the U.S. market, setting the stage to challenge a nearly 25-year-old box office record. With its North American debut slated for September 12, 2025, the film has already marked a significant milestone, becoming the best first-day ticket pre-seller for an anime movie in America, according to ticketing giant Fandango.

This early success points towards a potential overthrow of Pokemon: The First Movie‘s long-standing U.S. opening record of $31 million, a benchmark set in 1999. The momentum building around Infinity Castle highlights a pivotal moment for anime, showcasing its growing power within the global entertainment landscape and its ability to compete with Hollywood’s biggest stories.

The Record in Sight

Pokemon: The First Movie, released by Warner Bros. in November 1999, commanded a staggering $31,036,678 over its opening weekend, going on to gross $85.7 million domestically and $163.6 million worldwide. This record has largely remained unchallenged by anime releases for decades, with the exception of Demon Slayer‘s own Mugen Train film in 2021.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train, released in North America in April 2021, achieved a $19.5 million opening weekend and became the second-highest-grossing anime film in the U.S. and Canada, with a total of $47.7 million. That film’s global success was immense, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2020 worldwide and the highest-grossing Japanese film of all time, with over $507 million. Infinity Castle is now positioned to surpass its predecessor’s impressive U.S. pre-sale figures, signaling an even greater wave of fan engagement.

A Global Phenomenon Continues

Directed by Haruo Sotozaki and produced by animation studio Ufotable, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle – Part 1: Akaza Returns premiered in Japan on July 18, 2025. It quickly shattered domestic box office records, grossing approximately US$174.32 million (¥25.78 billion) within its first 31 days. This made it the highest-grossing film of 2025 in Japan and the fourth highest-grossing film in the country’s history, even surpassing popular titles like Your Name and Disney’s Frozen.

The film’s international rollout has also seen tremendous success. Globally, Infinity Castle has already amassed nearly $210 million across various Asian markets and is projected to exceed $300 million worldwide by the end of September as it enters more territories. Early fan screenings in Europe, including London’s BFI IMAX and Paris’s Le Grand Rex, sold out weeks in advance, a rare feat for any film, let alone an anime feature.

Strategic Distribution and Market Impact

The worldwide distribution of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle is a collaborative effort involving Aniplex and Toho in Japan, with Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment handling international releases. Sony’s strategic utilization of its subsidiaries, including Crunchyroll and Aniplex, underscores a concerted effort to dominate both the creative and distribution pipelines for anime content globally.

Jerramy Hainline, EVP of Fandango, expressed the overwhelming excitement for the film, stating that the response is a true testament to the power of the anime community. This enthusiasm is not just about a single film’s success but reflects a broader shift in the entertainment industry, where anime is no longer a niche interest but a major mainstream force.

Infinity Castle is the first installment of a planned three-part cinematic trilogy, adapting the climactic ‘Infinity Castle’ arc from Koyoharu Gotouge’s original manga. Its success is expected to set new benchmarks for the anime industry, proving its capability to attract global attention and become a dominant form of entertainment. The visual spectacle and captivating action sequences, hallmarks of the Demon Slayer series, continue to resonate deeply with American audiences, contributing significantly to its explosive popularity.

As Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle prepares for its widespread release, all eyes are on the box office, anticipating whether this top-tier anime will definitively claim the coveted U.S. opening record and cement its place as one of the most significant entertainment stories of the year.