Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Infinity Castle breaks a record untouched since 2000
The film earns $128.6M domestically and $648M worldwide, setting new anime milestones.
The world of anime continues its astonishing expansion into global cinema with the groundbreaking success of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle. The first installment of the trilogy has not only dominated the domestic box office but has also broken a 25-year-old record in United States cinemas.
As of this weekend, the film has earned an estimated $128.6 million in North American markets. This formidable performance allowed Demon Slayer to snatch the title of the highest-grossing non-English, international film of all time in North America (unadjusted for inflation), narrowly surpassing the 25-year record held by the iconic 2000 martial arts film, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon ($128.1 million).
The impact on North American theater
The staggering success extends far beyond North America. Reports from Box Office Mojo and The Hollywood Reporter place the film’s estimated worldwide total at $648 million as of Sunday, October 12. This massive number ensures the anime feature ranks as the #5 highest-grossing film of 2025 globally, outperforming major productions like How to Train Your Dragon ($635.7 million).
The film’s performance for players in the U.S. has been historic, being the first anime feature to not only cross the US$100 million threshold domestically but also the first to top the U.S. box office for two consecutive weekends.
The explosive fan enthusiasm was evident from the start. Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle earned an immense $70,611,098 in its opening weekend. This figure did more than just secure the record for the biggest opening weekend for an anime film in the U.S.; it broke the same record even when adjusted for inflation, surpassing the previous best set by the 1999 hit Pokémon: The First Movie ($31 million). This shows that the current generation of anime features is generating audience benefit and excitement at a level unseen in decades.
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