Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Shattered A Major Box Office Record

If it wasn't clear that anime is becoming a bigger part of mainstream culture, it should be now. That's because "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — Infinity Castle," the latest cinematic entry in the highly successful Japanese animated franchise, has just made history. It now stands alone as the highest-grossing anime movie in history at the box office, overtaking 2020's "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Train."

"Infinity Castle" topped the domestic box office for a second weekend in a row with $17.3 million. Even though that was a massive 75% drop from the anime's massive $70.6 million box office opening take, it was enough to hold onto the top spot for a second frame. That was in no small part because the Jordan Peele-produced "Him" fell way short of expectations (making just $13.5 million in North America), as did "A Big Bold Beautiful Journey" (bringing in only $3.5 million). More importantly, though, the latest "Demon Slayer" installment continues to be a massive hit all over the world.

Indeed, the film grossed an additional $44.5 million internationally, bringing its current global total to $555 million. That puts it well past "Mugen Train," which made $506 million between 2020 and 2021, which was largely a lost year for Hollywood. When the previous "Demon Slayer" movie became a hugely unexpected box office hit, there was also a sense that the tide was turning for anime in the broader cultural sphere. That's now undeniable. To that end, "Infinity Castle" has now made $104.7 million domestically and is the only animated movie to pass the $100 million mark in the U.S. in 2025 thus far.

"Infinity Castle" had already become a huge hit in its native Japan, where it's made well over $200 million thus far. But what's more important is that the film is playing like gangbusters all over the world, having earned more than 60% of its total gross outside of North America so far.

Anime, of course, has always had a loyal audience, even in the U.S. That said, the form has truly accelerated in popularity in recent years. While 2001's "Spirited Away" remains the fourth highest-grossing anime movie ever globally with $395 million, the top three entries on that list have all arrived within the last decade, including 2016's "Your Name" ($405 million). The signs have been there, too, such as when "The Boy and the Heron" unexpectedly topped the domestic box office in 2023 on its way to $293 million worldwide.

These films may not be as broadly popular as Marvel movies, but they are undoubtedly on the rise. Hollywood can no longer write them off as a meaningless niche or a passing fancy. Hence, it was wise of Sony to cast big name actors like Channing Tatum for the "Demon Slayer" English dub. There's gold in them there hills, as it were, i.e. there is an audience to serve, and when they're served well, they'll turn up happily. More importantly, that audience is growing every year.

At a time when the box office remains on fiercely uncertain ground, the emergence of anime is welcome. Anything that gets people out to theaters more regularly can help move the needle, be it in the States or elsewhere in the world. This is a global theatrical marketplace, after all, and anime is, quite evidently, having its big moment all over the planet. Right now it feels like the sky is the limit.

"Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — Infinity Castle" is in theaters now.