‘Demon Slayer’ Tops ‘Raya And The Last Dragon’ As Biggest U.S. Animation Debut Of 2021

Equally impressive, Demon Slayer topped the $8.5M launch of Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon last month, making it the biggest U.S. debut for an animated feature in 2021 (so far). While it’s impossible to make a direct comparison – less theaters were open when Raya debuted and the film was also available day one for rental on Disney+ – it’s safe to say that there was far more audience enthusiasm for an import from Asia than Disney’s Southeast Asian-inspired film. A few years ago, it would have been unthinkable to write that a foreign animated feature debut had topped Disney at the box office, but times are changing.

Raya was in fifth place this weekend with an estimated $1.6M for a total of $39.8M, which puts it behind even Warner Bros.’ Tom & Jerry, which has now grossed $43.4M. This is a much more direct comparison, since Tom & Jerry was available free for one month on HBO Max day-and-date with its theatrical launch.

Overall, Demon Train debuted in second place at the U.S. box office, trailing New Line/Warner Bros.’ reboot of the videogame franchise Mortal Kombat, which had $22.5M. The one-two punch of Mortal Kombat and Demon Slayer drove the domestic box office to its biggest total in over a year.

With its U.S./Canada earnings added in, Demon Slayer has now grossed $456 million worldwide. Like Ne Zha, the 2019 Chinese animated feature that grossed $742 million globally, Demon Slayer is a reminder that Hollywood is no longer the only producer of blockbuster animated features.