In a significant box office achievement, "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle" has debuted at No. 1, outperforming the horror sequel "The Conjuring: Last Rites." The animated film, released by Sony-owned Crunchyroll, generated an estimated $70 million in its opening weekend in North America, marking the highest domestic opening for an anime film, surpassing the previous record held by "Pokémon: The First Movie," which opened with $31 million in 1999.
Globally, "Infinity Castle" amassed a total of $177.8 million, making it the largest anime opening weekend ever, with $132.1 million reported. The film is the first installment in a trilogy that concludes the popular Shonen saga, following the journey of Tanjiro Kamado as he navigates a world filled with demons after his family is slain.
The film's success also signals a recovery for the box office following a slow month of August. "The Conjuring: Last Rites," which previously opened at $83 million, fell to second place with $26 million, bringing its domestic total to $131 million.
Other notable releases include "Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale," which opened in third place with $18.1 million, and the thriller "The Long Walk," debuting in fourth with $11.5 million. Pixar’s re-release of "Toy Story" (30th Anniversary) opened in fifth place with $3.5 million.
The full box office results, which include estimated ticket sales from Friday to Sunday across U.S. and Canadian theaters, reflect the diverse range of offerings available to audiences this weekend.