On Thursday, some online scoffed when I reported that my sources expected “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle” to open to $70M. After all, Sony was projecting just $35M across 3,300 theaters—a serious lowball.
Turns out, I was wrong. Make that a $75M opening for “Demon Slayer.” Yes, the film had a $22M Friday, and that’s on top of its $12M Thursday. It’s going to trounce “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” ($21M), “The Long Walk” ($11M), and unseat “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” which is projected to drop 64% in its second weekend.
Anime fans are clearly ecstatic about this one. It’s sporting an “A” on CinemaScore, an 8.7/10 on IMDb, and a 99% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. In other words, it’s practically critic-proof—though it’s also drawing strong reviews from the press that’s willing to see it.
Why the buzz? “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle” is the first installment in a trilogy, focusing on the Demon Slayer Corps as they enter the Infinity Castle. Tanjiro, Nezuko, and the Hashira face the terrifying Upper Rank demons in a desperate fight while the final battle against Muzan Kibutsuji unfolds. If you’re already turned off by that synopsis, you’re not alone.
That $75M opening will easily be the biggest anime opening in North American history, significantly edging out 1999’s “Pokémon: The First Movie – Mewtwo Strikes Back” ($31M) and 2021’s “Mugen Train” ($21M).
Anime films in the U.S. are almost always front-loaded. The fanbase shows up on day one, and after that, turnout typically drops off after opening weekend, given the limited mainstream appeal. Don’t be surprised if that happens with “Demon Slayer” next weekend.
Per Box Office Mojo, the film’s offshore gross — led by Japan with $213M — currently stands near $273M.
I should warn you: based on everything I’ve heard, this teaser is a total misdirection. The movie is not at all what it’s being portrayed as here. In fact, most of the footage in the teaser comes from the first few minutes of the film.