Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, the latest installment in the Japanese anime franchise, has stormed cinemas worldwide with historic numbers, including a strong Nigerian debut.
Distributed internationally by Sony Pictures and Crunchyroll, the dark fantasy action film opened to a massive $70 million in North America over three days, instantly setting the record for the largest opening weekend ever for an international release.
It also became the biggest anime debut in U.S. history, surpassing Pokémon: The First Movie – Mewtwo Strikes Back ($31 million in 1999) and all previous Demon Slayer releases combined.
Across the Atlantic, the film posted the highest opening day for an anime film in the U.K. with the equivalent of $1.8 million. In Italy, it grossed $948,000 on opening day, making it the country’s strongest anime debut to date.
At home in Japan, Infinity Castle has reached phenomenon status, grossing ¥31.74 billion ($220 million) eight weeks after release. This figure secures it as the second-highest earning film in Japanese history, narrowly overtaking Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away (¥31.68 billion). The franchise’s earlier installment, Mugen Train (2020), still holds the all-time record with ¥50 billion ($504 million).
Nigeria has also joined the global wave. On its debut, Infinity Castle grossed ₦39 million, placing it as the second-highest opening day of 2025. It ties with Timini Egbuson’s Reel Love and trails only Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World’s (₦40 million) Warner Bros.’ Superman follows closely with ₦38 million.
The Nigerian Box Office also confirmed that Infinity Castle has set the record for the biggest anime opening ever in the country. Industry observers note that anime films are usually “frontloaded,” drawing most of their audience on opening weekend, which could lead to steep drop-offs in subsequent weeks. Still, projections suggest the film could earn between ₦70 million and ₦100 million in Nigeria by the end of its first weekend.
Worldwide, the movie has already surpassed $340 million, led by Japan’s $220 million and bolstered by record-shattering debuts across Asia, Europe, North America, and Africa.
While analysts expect sharp declines in coming weeks, Infinity Castle has already cemented its place as a milestone for anime at the global box office.
