Anime is back on top of the box office, with “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle” earning $33 million across Friday and preview screenings from 3,315 locations.
That’s the biggest opening day domestic gross ever for an anime film, crushing the previous $10.9 million high-mark set by “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero” in 2022.
“Infinity Castle” has already earned more than $279 million globally, including more than $200 million in its native Japan.
“Infinity Castle” could even beat “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” ($56.5 million) to become Sony’s biggest domestic opener in over two years.
While “Infinity Castle” is the winner for the weekend, theaters are also welcoming several other new wide releases.
“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle,” which drew $33 million from Friday and preview screenings at 3,315 locations, has put anime back at the top of the box office. That surpasses the previous record of $10.9 million set by “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero” in 2022 and makes it the highest opening day domestic gross ever for an anime film. Furthermore, it’s already the biggest anime opening weekend ever, surpassing the $31 million record set by “Pokémon: The First Movie – Mewtwo Strikes Back” in 1999 (although “Mewtwo Strikes Back” actually debuted on a Wednesday, running for two full days prior to the customary three-day frame).
Both dubbed and subtitled versions of “Infinity Castle,” the first of what is intended to be a trilogy that will cap the property’s profits, are currently showing in upscale large format theaters. “Demon Slayer” made $6.04 million domestically on Friday in Imax theaters alone. The film has received good reviews and is well-liked by early viewers, earning a strong “A” rating from moviegoer survey company CinemaScore. Stateside grosses, however, are merely the anime epic’s most recent triumph. More than $279 million has already been made worldwide from “Infinity Castle,” including more than $200 million in its home country of Japan. It continues to rank as the No. Eight weeks after its release, one release was made. Currently, it is the third highest-grossing film ever released in the nation.
well-liked by Variety.
In North America, anime is reaching new heights thanks to Sony’s anime distribution banner, Crunchyroll. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train, released by the label in 2021, was one of the first significant theatrical acts in the industry following COVID lockdowns. At an opening of $20 million, that film was a toast to theater owners; “Infinity Castle” has the potential to triple that amount. The September box office is doing well above the industry’s modest expectations heading into the month, following last weekend’s spectacular $84 million debut of “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” which soared far above initial projections.
However, it’s a positive outcome for Sony as well, which just wrapped up a quiet summer blockbuster season. As eager fans swarm to the earliest screenings, anime tends to be front-loaded at the box office, so Saturday will determine how the rest of the weekend plays out. (Estimations are currently at $56 million, but some competitors anticipate spending more than $60 million. “Infinity Castle” might even surpass “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” ($56.05 million) to become Sony’s biggest domestic release in more than two years.
Despite being the weekend’s top film, “Infinity Castle,” a number of other new wide releases are also being shown in theaters. Another attempt at bringing a popular television series to the big screen is “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale,” which comes from Universal’s specialty label Focus Features. Additionally, Bleecker Street is hosting the comedy legacy sequel Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, while Lionsgate is releasing the gloomy Stephen King adaptation “The Long Walk.”. “”.
With $80.8 million from 3,694 sites during Friday and preview screenings, “Downton Abbey” has the advantage for third place. The British period series’ big-screen sequel is expected to debut with $19.5 million, which is more than the previous entry, “Downton Abbey: A New Era,” which made its debut with $16 million in May 2022. With a stellar “A” rating on CinemaScore, “The Grand Finale” has received positive reviews and has lived up to expectations.
Lionsgate, meanwhile, is aiming for a fourth-place finish for “The Long Walk,” which paced to $4.76 million across Friday and 2,845 preview screenings. According to current projections, the existential thriller, which was directed by Francis Lawrence, a steward of the “Hunger Games” franchise, will open at more than $11 million. It’s a significant beginning given the modest $20 million production budget, but it’s not a breakthrough. Despite more mixed reviews, the film received a “B” rating on CinemaScore from viewers.
Warner Bros. came in second. and New Line’s “The Conjuring: Last Rites” made $8.4 million on Friday, which is 67 percent less than its daily total from a week ago. After just eight days in theaters, the alleged last chapter of Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson’s paranormal dream team has already made $113 million in North America, making it the 14th-biggest release of the year.
Disney’s “Toy Story” re-release made $1.11 million in 2,375 theaters. The Pixar original film’s 30th anniversary reissue attempts to complete the top five.
Furthermore, “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” made roughly $820,000 from 1,919 previews and Friday sales. To debut in the top 10 will be fortunate. In the Bleecker Street-distributed follow-up to the now-classic rock-doc parody “This Is Spinal Tap,” director Rob Reiner reunites with comedians Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer for a follow-up that sends up to the contemporary era of rocker farewell tours. With an “A-” rating on CinemaScore, reviews are overwhelmingly positive, even though the intended audience had a terrific time.
