Highlights
- Infinity Castle (Part 1) is now the highest-grossing anime film ever with $738M worldwide.
- It hit ¥40.13B in Japan, becoming the second-highest-grossing film in domestic history.
- The Ufotable trilogy opener set a North American record for non-English international films.
The dimensional doors are finally closing on what can only be described as a historic cinematic event. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle (Part 1: Akaza’s Return) officially wrapped up its spectacular nine-month Japanese theatrical run on April 9, 2026. After kicking off its blockbuster campaign back in July 2025, the highly anticipated first chapter of the epic Ufotable trilogy didn't just meet the massive expectations placed upon it—it completely rewrote the record books. The film has officially claimed the title of the highest-grossing anime movie in global history, becoming the very first Japanese film to shatter the ¥100 billion ($644 million USD) mark worldwide.
Here in Japan, the movie finished its run with a jaw-dropping ¥40.13B (roughly $265M). To put that into perspective, it blew right past Studio Ghibli’s legendary Spirited Away, which previously sat comfortably at ¥31.7B (about $209M). The momentum was explosive right out of the gate.
The film sprinted past major financial milestones at an unprecedented pace. It crossed the ¥10B ($66M) mark in just eight days, beating Mugen Train’s ten-day record. It then hit ¥20B ($132M) in 23 days and ¥30B ($198M) in a record-breaking 46 days. Despite a massive final push from the production committee to keep fans engaged in the closing weeks, this initial surge wasn't quite enough to dethrone the king.
The 2020 cultural juggernaut Demon Slayer: Mugen Train remains the undisputed champion of the Japanese box office with its seemingly insurmountable ¥40.75B ($257M) lifetime gross. Infinity Castle officially ends its domestic run as the second-highest-grossing film of all time in Japan, as per AnimeHunch.
Conquering the Global Stage
Where Infinity Castle couldn't topple Mugen Train domestically, but exacted its revenge globally. The movie generated an astonishing worldwide gross of over $738M. This easily overshadowed Mugen Train’s $489M worldwide take, officially making Infinity Castle the highest-grossing anime movie ever made.
This historic run was heavily fueled by an incredible performance in North America, where the film collected an estimated $128.6M. Not only did this make it the highest-grossing anime film in the region's history, but it also managed to overtake the 2000 martial arts classic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which earned $128.1M. Infinity Castle is now officially the highest-grossing non-English international film of all time in North America.
Unsurprisingly, the film's massive financial success was matched by deep critical acclaim. Infinity Castle swept the awards circuit, taking home Best Animated Film at the 49th Japan Academy Film Prizes and Animation of the Year at the Tokyo Anime Award Festival, while also picking up major nominations for the Golden Globes.
The Final Battle Has Only Just Begun
To thank the fans who rushed to theaters in the closing weeks, the creators released two special commemorative illustrations featuring Hakuji and Koyuki in the countdown to the final day of screening. And for those who are sad to see it leave mainstream theaters, there is a silver lining. Ufotable revealed that Infinity Castle will actually continue screening starting April 10 at the ufotable Cinema, the studio’s very own theater located at the Higashi Shinmachi Shopping Street in Tokushima City.
For fans of the franchise, the hype is far from over. Akaza’s Return is just the first installment of a planned cinematic trilogy adapting the final saga of Koyoharu Gotouge’s incredibly popular manga, which has already sold over 220 million copies.
The plot follows the Demon Slayer Corps’ dangerous infiltration of the titular dimensional fortress to launch a final, desperate assault on the series’ main antagonist, Muzan Kibutsuji. While this specific theatrical run has concluded, the all-out war to eradicate the demon king has only just begun.
