[Photo Credit to Pxhere]

Since its September 12, 2025 North American release, Demon slayer: infinity castle has shattered box office records across Japan, the U.S., and beyond, establishing anime as a global cinematic force. 

In the short weeks following its debut, the film has become the highest-grossing Japanese movie worldwide, surpassing $600 million in global earnings and achieving milestones deemed unattainable for the anime genre.

The film’s performance has been historic across markets. In the U.S, Infinity Castle opened with over $70 million in its first weekend, marking the largest debut ever for an anime movie. 

It maintained its No.1 position at the domestic box office in its second weekend adding $17.3 million for a North American total of $104.7 million after nine days. 

Globally, the film has earned more than $606 million, surpassing Hollywood blockbusters such as Superman and Captain America: Brave New World, according to Forbes. 

Industry analysts project a final total near $675 million, depending on international releases.

In Japan, the movie shattered records almost instantly. 

Its opening day earned ¥1.64 billion (about $11 million) with 1.15 million admissions, which is the strongest single day launch in Japanese box office history. 

Over its opening weekend, it grossed ¥5.52 billion ($37.4 million), and within eight days it crossed ¥10 billion, the fastest climb to that milestone in Japanese History. 

As of late September, Infinity Castle remains the second-highest grossing film in Japanese history and the top film of 2025. 

A significant factor behind its success is its critical acclaim and audience enthusiasm. 

The film holds a 98% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 69 on Metacritic, with praise directed at its animation and emotional intensity, though some critics cited pacing issues.

A 2024 survey by Vox Media and Polygon revealed that 42% of Gen Z report watching anime weekly, underscoring the demographic power behind its success. 

Industry observers suggest Infinity Castle may transform how Hollywood’s perception of anime. 

Paul Deragarabedian of Comscore described the film’s box performance as “somewhat unprecedented,” asserting that if it becomes a trend rather than an outlier, anime could be considered alongside other mainstream tentpole categories. 

Shawn Robbins of Fandango observed that youth-driven hype can fade quickly but also has the potential to expand audience bases, similar to the breakout run of A Minecraft Movie earlier this year. 

The most recent weekend further underscores this enduring power. 

Even after a steep drop of 70 percent, Infinity Castle still topped the domestic box office with $17.3 million, ahead of Jordan Peele’s Him, which debuted with $13.5 million.

The rest of the box office highlighted how unprecedented Infinity Castle’s trajectory has been. 

While Sony celebrated the anime’s dominance through Crunchroll, another release, Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell’s fantasy romance A Bing Bold Beautiful Journey stumbled badly. 

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey only opened to just $3.5 million and a sixth place finish, in comparison to Infinity Castle.

Universal and Monkeypaw’s Him also fell short of expectations and drew weak audience scores.

In contrast, Infinity Castle has maintained a cultural presence despite competition, demonstrating how effectively its built-in fan base translates to mainstream markets. 

Ultimately, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle is more than a franchise triumph. It is a turning point for global cinema.

By surpassing long-standing Hollywood benchmarks, outpacing live action debuts, and drawing younger audiences in record numbers, it proves that anime is no longer niche but a mainstream force.