Demon Slayer is changing the game for anime on the big screen, as the upcoming Infinity Castle movie is set to break even more records than 2020's Mugen Train.
Following the release of the first Demon Slayer Infinity Castle trailer, Crunchyroll chief content officer Asa Suehira talked about the grand-scale theatrical release of the film worldwide this year, and how it might open new doors for the medium. "Since the huge success of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Movie Mugen Train, the attention of theater owners around the world to anime has changed," Suehira said during an interview with Branc.
"Infinity Castle will also be released on an unprecedented scale. I think it will be a milestone movie for theatrical anime, so I think it is Crunchyroll's responsibility to deliver solid results," he added, teasing a massive box office hit with the new movie, which is set to open in Japan in only a few weeks.
Back in 2020, and despite the COVID pandemic, Mugen Train grossed over $500 million worldwide, becoming the first non-American production to ever top the annual global box office. It also is, to this day, the highest-grossing Japanese film of all time, surpassing Hayao Miyazaki's Oscar-winning Spirited Away.
As one of the best anime series right now, Demon Slayer has seen its fandom grow in recent years. That's why the new movie – the first original one since Mugen Train, as 2023's To the Swordsmith Village and 2024's To the Hashira Training were compilation films – is expected to break some new records, and pave the way for more anime movies on the big screen.
And that's just the beginning, since Infinity Castle will be the first of a trilogy of movies, with each adapting the manga arc of the same name and bringing the story to a close.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Movie Infinity Castle will release in US and UK cinemas on September 12, following its Japanese release on July 18. If you want to start getting ready, check out our complete guide on how to watch Demon Slayer in order.
