Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle has continued its record-smashing run since arriving in North America, and it has now eclipsed this summer’s blockbuster Superman, directed by James Gunn and led by David Corenswet. According to Box Office Mojo, the anime feature has grossed $633,497,757 worldwide, outpacing Superman’s current global total of $615,784,465.
In doing so, Infinity Castle has claimed the title of highest-grossing Japanese film in history — a distinction previously held by the franchise’s own prior entry. Demon Slayer: Mugen Train crossed the $500 million mark in 2020. Trailing behind in the all-time list are celebrated works by Makoto Shinkai — Your Name and Suzume — while Hayao Miyazaki occupies additional slots with Spirited Away and The Boy and the Heron.
Some critics have suggested that the franchise’s earlier box office triumphs owed much to the limited release slate during the COVID-19 era, but Infinity Castle appears to confirm that the series’ popularity is durable rather than circumstantial. See the LATimes analysis for more context.
The notion of anime as an industry underdog in mainstream cinemas has been steadily overturned, and Infinity Castle only deepens that trend. All eyes now turn to Sony and Crunchyroll’s next high-profile release, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, slated for release on Oct. 24. Will anime broadly eclipse superhero fare, or is this another instance of an exceptional franchise commanding the box office?
As for the remainder of the Infinity Castle trilogy, release timing remains uncertain. Previously reported dates for follow-ups in 2027 and 2029 have been called into question; there is no confirmed schedule for the next two films at this time. Read more on the status of future installments.
Source: Polygon
