The ongoing success of the anime phenomenon, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle, reflects a significant trend in the collectibles market, particularly as it continues to gain traction globally. Following its recent release in China, the film generated an impressive $52.4 million over its opening weekend, pushing its total earnings to a remarkable $730 million worldwide. The film, released in China by Maoyan, has harvested overwhelmingly positive word-of-mouth despite ongoing geopolitical tensions impacting cultural exchanges between Beijing and Tokyo.
Infinity Castle outperformed Lionsgate’s Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, which finished in second place with $21.6 million, while the local crime drama Family at Large, featuring Hu Ge and produced by Hehe Pictures, secured the third spot with $1.9 million, according to Artisan Gateway data.
This latest installment has achieved historic box office milestones, ranking as the fifth-biggest global release of 2025, the highest-grossing Japanese film ever, and it also claims the title for the highest-grossing international film in North America, surpassing the previous record holder Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
The film’s performance in IMAX format was particularly notable, generating $11.5 million during its opening weekend, which accounted for 25 percent of the total domestic revenue. Notably, Infinity Castle achieved the biggest IMAX opening weekend for a Japanese feature in China and became the second-largest IMAX debut for an animated movie in the country, outpaced only by 2025’s blockbuster Ne Zha 2.
The Demon Slayer franchise, rooted in the widely-acclaimed manga by Koyoharu Gotouge, exploded into popularity following the debut of its TV anime adaptation in 2019. The storyline follows Tanjiro Kamado, a compassionate young boy who becomes a demon slayer after a tragedy strikes his family, leading his sister Nezuko into demonhood. With its exquisite animation crafted by Ufotable and a rich mix of familial themes, heroism, and dark fantasy elements, Demon Slayer soared with its initial feature film, Mugen Train, which grossed over $500 million globally in the wake of the pandemic.
As Western cinematic releases lose ground, Japanese anime remains a strong seller at the Chinese box office. Recent years have seen titles such as Suzume, The First Slam Dunk, and Spy x Family Code: White consistently outscore Hollywood’s blockbuster entries. This trend is buoyed by a digitally engaged youth demographic that has proliferated anime’s popularity on a global scale.
Infinity Castle, the first in a planned trilogy adapting the “Final Battle” story arc of Demon Slayer, illustrates Sony’s strategic approach to developing a global pipeline for anime content. Industry analysts affirm that the franchise’s sustained success underscores Sony’s investment in its Crunchyroll division, which has transitioned from a niche platform to an essential part of the company’s content framework. This positioning within the broader anime sector reflects Sony’s ambitious drive to capitalize on Japan’s most cherished cultural assets—including gaming and anime—for reliable global box office returns.
Based on reporting by Hollywood Reporter. Read the full story at https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/demon-slayer-infinity-castle-52m-china-cume-730m-worldwide-1236428365/.
