The latest installment of the popular anime series, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle, has made a spectacular debut in South Korea. Released on August 22, 2025, the film attracted over 540,000 viewers on its first day, breaking the highest opening score of the year.
As per the Korean Film Council on Saturday, the film surpassed 540,000 moviegoers in just one day. This performance overtakes other major 2025 releases, including My Daughter Is A Zombie with 430,087 viewers and Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning, which drew 423,889 on its opening day.
The record also far surpasses How Do You Live? (aka The Boy and the Heron), which previously held the highest opening for a Japanese animation in Korea with 255,230 viewers.
Fans and industry analysts are now watching closely to see if Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle can match the success of Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, which drew 2.22 million viewers in Korea in 2021. All eyes are on whether it will approach the all-time domestic record for Japanese animation, Suzume, which attracted 5.58 million moviegoers.
Infinity Castle is the fourth film in the Demon Slayer series and the first of a trilogy adapting the final arcs of the manga. It covers the first half of the climactic story, leading up to the battle between the Demon Slayer Corps and the Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji.
The English-dubbed version includes the original anime voice cast, along with Hollywood stars Channing Tatum and Rebecca Wang.
The film has already performed strongly in Japan, where it premiered on July 18, 2025. It ranks as the fourth highest-grossing film in the country with over ¥25.78 billion in earnings, sitting between Disney’s Frozen and James Cameron’s Titanic.
Among Japanese films, it is third in total revenue behind Spirited Away and Your Name, though it still trails Mugen Train, which earned ¥40.75 billion domestically.
Globally, the Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle arc has reached the 15th spot at the worldwide box office with over $167 million in earnings. It is only a few million dollars away from surpassing Disney’s live-action Snow White, which grossed $205 million worldwide. However, it was considered a box-office disappointment due to its $250 million production budget and various controversies.
With its U.S. release scheduled for September 12, 2025, Infinity Castle is expected to climb higher in global rankings.
For now, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle continues to show in theaters across Korea.
