Japanese anime film, 'Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle', makes box office history with $70 million U.S. debut

""Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Infinity Castle" carved out a place in box-office history this weekend as the Japanese anime film sliced straight to No. 1 - outpacing the horror sequel "The Conjuring: Last Rites." The Sony-owned Crunchyroll release shattered expectations with a mighty $70 million debut in North America, according to Sunday estimates from Comscore. That haul marks the biggest domestic opening ever for an anime film, surpassing "Pokmon: The First Movie," which opened with $31 million in 1999."

""This performance by this particular film shows the unpredictability of the box office," said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. "If we were sitting here, let's say a month or even a couple of weeks ago, would we be thinking, 'Wow, a Japanese anime film would be number one at the box office, overperform and bring in $70 million?' If you predicted that, kudos to you.""

"The movie is the first in a three-film trilogy that brings the hit Shonen saga to its climactic showdown. The story follows Tanjiro Kamado, a kind-hearted boy who takes up swordsmanship after his family is slaughtered and his sister, Nezuko, is turned into a demon. Together, they fight a supernatural underworld of monstrous foes while clinging to what's left of their humanity."

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Infinity Castle opened to $70 million in North America, marking the biggest domestic opening ever for an anime film and surpassing Pokémon: The First Movie's $31 million 1999 debut. The film delivered a $132.1 million anime opening weekend domestically and reached $177.8 million worldwide after releases across North America and 49 international markets. The movie is the first in a three-film trilogy and follows Tanjiro Kamado and his demon-turned sister, Nezuko, battling a supernatural underworld. Renowned studio Ufotable provided lavish visuals and intense fight sequences. The release contributed to a September box-office rebound as The Conjuring: Last Rites fell to second.

Read at Fast Company