'Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle’ Almost Beat Elio's Entire Domestic Box Office Take on Opening Weekend!
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle came razor-close to eclipsing the full domestic run of Pixar's Elio in just its opening weekend, hauling in $70 million stateside and underscoring how anime is slashing through Hollywood's animation giants with unprecedented force.
This pulse-pounding first chapter of the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba trilogy didn't just dominate September charts—it exposed the shifting sands of family entertainment, where a Japanese import outpaced a Disney powerhouse's entire summer haul.
For those unfamiliar, Demon Slayer tracks Tanjiro Kamado's harrowing journey in Taisho-era Japan after demons wipe out his family, turning his sister Nezuko into one of them. As a budding Demon Slayer, Tanjiro wields a sun-imbued Nichirin blade alongside elite Hashira warriors to eradicate fiends and cure Nezuko, all while grappling with loss and unbreakable bonds. Since its 2019 anime debut by Ufotable—adapting Koyoharu Gotouge's manga—the series has mesmerized with breathtaking fights, emotional gut-punches, and themes of perseverance that transcend cultures, amassing a fervent global fanbase.
Here's the TLDR...
Infinity Castle exploded to $70 million domestic in its debut, nearly matching Elio's full $73 million U.S. total from its June 2025 release.
Pixar's Elio, an original sci-fi tale of a boy mistaken for Earth's ambassador, flopped with a $21 million opening and wrapped after underwhelming legs despite an 82% Rotten Tomatoes score.
This marks anime's bold incursion into animation supremacy, topping 2025's animated openings and signaling youth-driven tastes favoring fresh narratives over legacy brands.
Demon Slayer's prior hit Mugen Train (2020) earned $49.1 million domestic but soared to $507 million worldwide; Infinity Castle already eyes that throne globally.
As trilogy opener, it adapts the manga's epic finale, teasing brutal clashes in Muzan's shifting fortress—parts two and three are in the works for future releases.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle's Record-Shattering Opening Weekend
Infinity Castle sliced through projections like a Water Breathing form, debuting to $70 million from 3,315 theaters—55% above forecasts and the year's top animated launch.
Friday alone netted $33 million, including $6.4 million from IMAX, with fans awarding it an "A" CinemaScore and 97% audience approval on Rotten Tomatoes.
Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian marveled at the upset: “This performance by this particular film shows the unpredictability of the box office. 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.”
Globally, it added $62.1 million from 49 markets, pushing totals toward $400 million and dominating Japan with over $200 million since July.
Pixar's Elio: A Disappointing Domestic Run
Pixar's Elio, released June 20, 2025, aimed to recapture magic with its story of imaginative kid Elio Solis beaming up as Earth's accidental galactic rep, forging alien alliances amid cosmic chaos.
Despite strong reviews (84% RT) and an "A" CinemaScore, it stumbled hard: a franchise-worst $21 million opening from 3,750 screens, trailing Universal's How to Train Your Dragon remake ($37 million) and Sony's 28 Years Later ($30 million).
Legs were lackluster, with fourth-week drops to $4 million, culminating in a meager $73 million domestic gross against a $150 million budget (plus marketing). Worldwide, it limped to $154 million, highlighting Pixar's post-Inside Out 2 struggles with originals—far from the billion-dollar highs of Toy Story or Finding Nemo.
How Infinity Castle Nearly Topped Elio's Full Box Office
The jaw-dropping stat? Infinity Castle's $70 million weekend was 96% of Elio's entire U.S. earnings, achieved in three days versus three months.
While Elio chased family crowds with Pixar polish, Demon Slayer tapped superfans and crossover appeal, outgrossing Elio's opener by over 230%.
David A. Gross, box office consultant, noted the generational pivot: “Younger audiences are ready for something fresh and exciting.”
This near-overtake isn't isolated—Infinity Castle also dwarfed DreamWorks' Dog Man ($36 million January debut), cementing anime's edge in a year of animated woes for Western studios.
Demon Slayer vs. Pixar: Why Anime Is Winning Hearts and Wallets
Demon Slayer's track record amplifies the feat. Mugen Train opened to $21 million amid COVID but hit $49.1 million domestic and $507 million global, the anime benchmark.
Compilations like To the Swordsmith Village (2023, $45 million worldwide) and To the Hashira Training (2024, $11.5 million U.S.) built hype, but none rivaled this fury.
Versus Pixar, whose 2020s slate includes Onward ($61.5 million domestic low), Infinity Castle highlights anime's global pull—Ufotable's fluid animation and visceral stakes resonate deeper than Elio's whimsy in a superhero-fatigued market.
Dergarabedian added, “Animated films just lend themselves visually to the big screen experience, and it’s a genre that is truly global.”
Can Disney Compete with Anime?
Disney's animation empire—spanning Pixar, Walt Disney Animation, and family tentpoles—faces a reckoning as anime like Demon Slayer surges.
While Inside Out 2 soared to $1.6 billion globally in 2024, Pixar's Elio and 2023's Wish ($64 million domestic) expose cracks in Disney's formula.
Anime's edge lies in serialized storytelling and niche loyalty; Infinity Castle leveraged a built-in fanbase from Crunchyroll streams and manga sales (150 million copies globally).
Disney's originals, banking on broad appeal, often miss with teens craving Demon Slayer's intensity.
Analyst Jeff Bock told Variety, “Anime has a rabid fanbase that shows up opening weekend, while Pixar’s broader approach can dilute urgency.”
Disney's upcoming Mufasa: The Lion King (December 2025) may rebound, but anime's lean budgets (Ufotable's ~$20 million vs. Pixar’s $150 million) and cultural specificity pose stiff competition.
Disney must innovate—perhaps blending anime-inspired aesthetics or serialized arcs—to reclaim younger crowds.
What’s Coming: Infinity Castle Trilogy and Animation's Future
Announced post-season four in June 2024, Infinity Castle launches the endgame trilogy, thrusting Tanjiro and Hashira into Muzan's infinite-domain battles against Upper Moons like Akaza.
Expect gore-soaked spectacles, emotional farewells, and dimension-warping chaos en route to the demon king's demise.
Ufotable's detail-obsessed style means sequels could drop by 2027. This triumph revives September box office (sixth-best ever, $145 million weekend total) and spotlights anime's youth quake—outpacing live-action like The Conjuring: Last Rites ($26.1 million second place).
For newbies, dive into Crunchyroll's anime; it's a resilient tale proving underdogs can topple titans.
Infinity Castle isn't just a win—it's a wake-up call that anime's blade is sharper than ever.
Hat Tips:
The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/business/anime-demon-slayer-box-office.html
CNN Business: https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/14/business/demon-slayer-september-box-office
Deadline: https://deadline.com/2025/09/box-office-demon-slayer-infinity-castle-conjuring-1236529652/
Box Office Mojo (Elio details): https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl1561428737/
ScreenRant (Elio performance): https://screenrant.com/elio-63-million-domestic-box-office-milestone-pixar-comparison/
Wikipedia (series and film background): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demon_Slayer:_Kimetsu_no_Yaiba_%E2%80%93_The_Movie:_Infinity_Castle
Hollywood Reporter: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/demon-slayer-infinity-castle-record-box-office-opening-1236370035/
Variety (Disney vs. anime trends): https://variety.com/2025/film/columns/pixar-elio-box-office-anime-rise-1236517900/
Compiled and Edited by Ivy Adams for Pirates & Princesses.