“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle” opened to an estimated $70 million in North America this weekend, claiming the top spot at the box office and registering the largest domestic opening ever for an anime film, Comscore estimates showed Sunday.
The Sony-owned Crunchyroll release outpaced last weekend’s leader, the horror sequel “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” which slipped to second with an estimated $26 million. Comscore also credited “Infinity Castle” with a $132.1 million global weekend and a worldwide total of $177.8 million after the film rolled out across North America and 49 international markets.
The $70 million North American debut surpasses the previous anime-opening benchmark set by “Pokémon: The First Movie,” which opened to $31 million in 1999. The current film is the first installment in a three-film trilogy that brings the popular shonen saga to its climactic showdown. Produced by acclaimed studio Ufotable, the movie follows Tanjiro Kamado, a young swordsman who fights demons after his family is slain and his sister, Nezuko, is transformed into a demon.
“This performance by this particular film shows the unpredictability of the box office,” Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore, said in a statement. He called the film’s results evidence of a September rebound after a sluggish August and noted that such a rapid reversal in box-office fortunes is notable.
Warner Bros.' “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” which opened to $83 million last weekend, has now earned $131 million domestically. Focus Features’ “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” opened in third with an estimated $18.1 million. Lionsgate’s adaptation of Stephen King’s early novel, “The Long Walk,” debuted in fourth with $11.5 million. Pixar’s re-release “Toy Story (30th Anniversary)” opened in fifth with $3.5 million across 2,375 theaters.
Other releases rounding out Comscore’s estimated top 10 for the weekend included Lionsgate’s “Weapons” ($2.75 million), Disney’s filmed stage musical “Hamilton” ($2.2 million), the teen comedy “Freakier Friday” ($2.1 million), “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” ($1.6 million) and “The Sound of Music (60th Anniversary)” ($1.4 million). With final domestic figures to be released Monday, Comscore’s tallies reflect estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters.
Industry analysts said the success of “Infinity Castle” underscores both the growing commercial clout of anime in North American markets and the continuing strength of theatrical releases that tap established fan bases. The film’s lavish visuals and high-octane fight sequences, hallmarks of Ufotable’s animation, have helped the “Demon Slayer” franchise achieve blockbuster status worldwide.
The weekend’s results come as studios prepare to release a number of high-profile films later in September, including Jordan Peele’s horror feature “HIM” and a new picture from Paul Thomas Anderson, which analysts expect could further influence the box-office landscape through the month.
Comscore’s weekend estimates were submitted by theaters and distributors and are routinely updated when final numbers are compiled and released.