sony Pictures and Crunchyroll’s “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle” shattered box office expectations this weekend, delivering the biggest anime opening ever with $70 million in ticket sales from the U.S. and Canada. The film topped all new releases, outpacing “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale,” “The long Walk,” and “Spinal Tap II: The End continues.”
The debut marks the highest-grossing domestic opening of the year for an animated film, according to studio estimates. Globally, “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle” earned $132.1 million across 49 international markets, bringing its total worldwide gross to $272 million. Japan contributed $213 million to that total.
“Demon Slayer”‘s success provides a boost to theater owners amid challenges for other genres, including superhero films, comedies, and original animation. The film is part of a larger, popular anime franchise and the first installment in a planned trilogy chronicling the final battle between the Demon Slayer Corps and the demons they fight.
A previous film in the franchise, “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen train,” was a box office hit in 2020.
Focus Features’ new “Downton Abbey” film landed in third place with $18.1 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales.Lionsgate’s “The Long Walk,” based on a Stephen King novel, opened in fourth with $11.5 million domestically.
“Spinal Tap II,” a sequel to the 1984 mockumentary, had a disappointing opening weekend, earning just $1.7 million.