'Demon Slayer' movie smashes box office records in China

High-profile action fantasy anime film "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle" was released in the Chinese mainland on Nov. 14, breaking several opening records for a foreign animation.

Crew and Chinese voice cast of "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle" interact with audience members at the film's China premiere in Shanghai, Nov. 10, 2025. [Photo/China.org.cn]

"We are truly delighted that our work can be seen by Chinese audiences," director Haruo Sotozaki told China.org.cn. "If those who watch the film can gain something from it or be left with some lasting impression, that would be our greatest joy."

Sotozaki revealed that creating the fast-paced and visually dense action sequences in "Infinity Castle" represented their first attempt at such scenes. "When we calculated in advance that completing the production would require an enormous amount of time and years, figuring out how to accomplish this goal became our greatest challenge," he said.

Several of the film's crew members, including cinematographer Yuichi Terao, attended the Chinese premiere in Shanghai on Nov. 10. Speaking with China.org.cn, Terao explained that they had taken the theatrical screening environment into consideration when creating the anime.

"Specifically, areas that appear as small sections on televisions or production monitors become clearly magnified when projected on the big screen," he said. "To address this, we had to meticulously craft every corner of the frame. This required an unprecedented amount of computation time. We essentially discarded all the 3D models used in the television series and rebuilt the Infinity Castle from scratch for the film."

Terao added: "Traditional 2D hand-drawn animation is a medium that allows creators to fully infuse their passion into films. Our team has invested all our energy and enthusiasm into creating this exceptional work. We hope Chinese audiences will find our film entertaining and interesting and it will resonate with them."

"Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle" has broken several opening records in Japan following its release on July 18. By early September it had overtaken "Spirited Away" to become Japan's second-highest grossing film ever, reaching 31.7 billion yen. The film has also set several major global records: it has grossed a total of $730 million worldwide, becoming the highest-earning Japanese film globally in history, and ranking among the top five at the global box office in 2025.

The film adapts the climactic "Final Battle" arc of Koyoharu Gotouge's hit manga, with animation produced by Ufotable and returning voice cast members reprising their roles. The film follows the Demon Slayer Corps as they are drawn into the Infinity Castle, where leading roles Tanjiro and the Hashira face terrifying Upper Rank demons in a desperate fight while the final battle against Muzan Kibutsuji begins. As the first in a planned trilogy charting the concluding chapters of the saga, its box-office momentum lays a solid foundation for the upcoming installments.

A Chinese poster for "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle." [Photo courtesy of China Film Group]

With presales reaching more than 181 million yuan ($25.47 million), "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle" became the highest-presold foreign animated film in the Chinese mainland at the time before "Zootopia 2" broke the record days ago. It also set opening records for Japanese film in the Chinese market. The film had generated more than 585 million yuan in the Chinese mainland by Thursday since its debut, confirming its status as a global box office phenomenon.

IMAX China also announced that the film earned $12.3 million across a total of 745 IMAX theaters in China over the first weekend, capturing 23% of the film's nationwide box office while playing on roughly 1% of total screens. The performance broke all previous IMAX records in China for a Japanese-language title, achieving the highest-ever figures for opening weekend gross and attendance as fans flocked to see the franchise's long-awaited theatrical debut.

"The opening-weekend results highlight the significant social and emotional value that can be created only when premium content meets the IMAX experience," said Daniel Manwaring, CEO of IMAX China.