“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle” opened to an estimated $70 million in North America this weekend, marking the biggest domestic debut ever for an anime film, Comscore said Sunday.
The Sony-owned Crunchyroll release outpaced expectations and unseated last weekend’s leader, Warner Bros.’ “The Conjuring: Last Rites.” The anime’s $70 million domestic take is more than double the previous U.S. anime opening record set by “Pokémon: The First Movie,” which opened to $31 million in 1999.
Comscore reported that the film scored the largest anime opening of all time with a $132.1 million weekend internationally and reached a global total of $177.8 million after rolling out across North America and 49 international markets. The movie is the first in a planned three-film trilogy that brings the popular Shonen saga to a climactic showdown. Produced by studio Ufotable, the film follows Tanjiro Kamado and his sister Nezuko as they battle a supernatural underworld; critics and fans have pointed to Ufotable’s lavish animation and fast-paced fight sequences as major draws.
Warner Bros.’ “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” which opened to $83 million last weekend, slipped to second place with an estimated $26 million and has now grossed about $131 million domestically. Focus Features’ “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” opened in third with $18.1 million. The drama, set in the 1930s, follows the Crawleys as they navigate social change and financial strain while the household staff prepares for a new generation.
In fourth place, Lionsgate’s “The Long Walk,” directed by Francis Lawrence and adapted from Stephen King’s first-written novel, debuted with an estimated $11.5 million. Pixar’s “Toy Story (30th Anniversary)” returned to theaters in fifth with $3.5 million across 2,375 venues. The remainder of the top 10 included Warner Bros.’ “Weapons” at $2.75 million, Disney’s filmed stage production “Hamilton” at $2.2 million, “Freakier Friday” at $2.1 million, “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” at $1.6 million and “The Sound of Music (60th Anniversary)” at $1.4 million.
The weekend’s results signal a rebound for September box office after a relatively sluggish August, with an anime tentpole delivering a strong finish to the month. Crunchyroll and Sony’s broad international release strategy helped push the global total above $170 million in the film’s opening frame, industry analysts said.
Final domestic figures for the weekend were expected to be released Monday. The Comscore estimates cover Friday through Sunday ticket sales at U.S. and Canadian theaters and are commonly used by studios and industry observers to gauge early performance.