5 Minutes
Demon Slayer's global surge
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle has vaulted into the upper ranks of 2025's biggest box office performers. More than a month after its U.S. release, the anime feature has crossed $659 million worldwide, overtaking DreamWorks' recent How to Train Your Dragon live-action in total gross and landing as the fifth highest-grossing film of 2025 so far.
Why this anime is breaking records
Infinity Castle adapts the climactic final-battle arc from the hit series, bringing the full scale and emotional stakes of the anime to the big screen. Its success is the product of several converging forces: a loyal global fanbase built over multiple TV seasons, a cinematic production that marries hand-drawn aesthetics with high-end animation effects, and strong word-of-mouth praise for its choreography and dramatic payoffs.
In Japan, the film was already a phenomenon before it opened widely in the West. It sits as the second highest-grossing film in Japanese box office history, nudging past legendary titles such as Spirited Away, Your Name, Titanic, and Frozen in domestic receipts — a testament to the enormity of the Demon Slayer franchise at home.
US milestones and comparisons
The U.S. opening weekend alone brought in $33 million, a figure that demolished a decades-old anime record previously held by Pokémon: The First Movie from 1999. In doing so, Infinity Castle became the highest-grossing anime film in U.S. history, outpacing several major Hollywood releases during its run and even eclipsing box office runs of tentpole films like James Gunn's Superman and entries from the Marvel and Mission: Impossible franchises in certain markets.
Comparisons with How to Train Your Dragon are especially instructive. The DreamWorks live-action remake grossed roughly $635 million after a strong summer run — itself significantly more than the 2010 animated original. Demon Slayer's ability to pass that live-action hit signals the growing international appetite for anime cinema as a mainstream theatrical draw.
Franchise momentum and what comes next
Crunchyroll has confirmed that Infinity Castle will likely stay off streaming services through the end of 2025, prioritizing theatrical revenue and keeping the momentum alive for cinema audiences. Studio announcements suggest sequels could arrive around 2027 and 2029, meaning fans will enjoy a prolonged theatrical roadmap rather than immediate streaming release.
For viewers waiting between big-screen events, there’s plenty to revisit in the series: character arcs, soundtrack highlights, and production details from the animation team that fans often discuss in online communities.
Fan culture and behind-the-scenes
The film's popularity has spawned vibrant fan reactions online and extensive coverage of production choices — from fight-blocking to atmospheric scoring. Trivia-wise, Infinity Castle is the first cinematic adaptation of the series' final-battle arc, and much of its pre-release hype centered on how faithfully the movie would translate sequences that were originally serialized across multiple TV episodes.
'Film critic Anna Kovacs' notes: 'Infinity Castle is a cultural milestone for anime on the global stage. It demonstrates that serialized storytelling, when distilled into a cinematic event, can compete with Hollywood tentpoles for audience attention and box office share.'
Critical perspective
While box office numbers are impressive, some critics point out that the film leans heavily on franchise familiarity; casual viewers might feel overwhelmed by the dense mythology. Yet for longtime fans, those layers are precisely why the film resonates so strongly.
Whether you approach it as a spectacle, a culmination of a beloved saga, or a sign of anime's expanding theatrical influence, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle is a headline-making film that will be studied by industry watchers and adored by fans for years to come.
In short: Infinity Castle isn't just a financial win — it's further proof that anime cinema has arrived as a global box office force.
Comments
Marius
Feels a bit overhyped, box office isnt everything. Sure fans love it, but if you havent watched the series, is it satisfying as a standalone film, or...
atomwave
wow didnt see this coming, Infinity Castle crushing records is wild! the final battle on big screen THRILLS, but curious if casual viewers really get all the lore..
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