‘Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle’ Leads China Box Office With $52M Opening, Pushes Global Total To $730 Million

Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle had a massive opening weekend in China, debuting to extraordinary numbers that cement its status as one of the year’s biggest global animated films and marking a watershed moment for theatrical anime releases.

The film, distributed in China by Maoyan, launched with RMB 354.2 million (approximately $49.9 million) from Friday through Sunday, according to Artisan Gateway, though some industry tallies rounded the three-day start slightly higher at $52.4 million; Chinese box office tracking is rarely an exact science.

Either way, the debut marks one of the strongest openings for a Japanese feature in Chinese history. Imax screenings contributed an impressive share, pulling in about $11.5-12.3 million, and accounting for roughly a quarter of the national opening gross. The result also delivered the largest Imax opening weekend ever for a Japanese film in China.

Powered by that success, Infinity Castle has pushed its worldwide box office to an estimated $730 million, ranking it among 2025’s top global performers. The film is now the highest-grossing Japanese movie in global box-office history and has also become the top-grossing international film ever in the North American market, overtaking the longstanding record set by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Word-of-mouth among Chinese audiences has been exceptionally strong. The overwhelming response reflects both the established popularity of Demon Slayer and the increasing influence of China’s enthusiastic anime audience, a demographic that has proved remarkably resilient compared to fans of Hollywood imports that continue to struggle in the market.

Infinity Castle adapts the climactic “Final Battle” arc of Koyoharu Gotouge’s hit manga, with animation produced by Ufotable and returning cast members reprising their roles. The film is the first in a planned trilogy charting the concluding chapters of the saga, and its early box-office momentum signals a robust runway for the installments to come.

Sony and Crunchyroll distribute the franchise in the U.S., where it stands at the forefront of the companies’ anime strategy, which appears to be paying off handsomely. With Demon Slayer now validated as a global franchise capable of blockbuster-level returns, Sony’s investment in anime has become a central pillar of its worldwide content business.