New ‘Demon Slayer’ film topples records
The latest film adaptation of hit manga and anime series Demon Slayer is breaking records in Japan, becoming the fastest film to gross 10 billion yen ($67 million), reported AFP.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba — The Movie: Infinity Castle was released on July 18. According to IMDb, the film made 1.64 billion yen ($11.1 million) on opening day, setting a new record for the highest first-day gross in Japanese cinema history. Currently screening in Japan, the offering reached the 10-billion-yen mark after eight days. According to Kogyo Tsushinsha, which tracks film sales, the previous record-holder was the last instalment of the series, Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, which hit that figure after 10 days in 2020.
“We thank each and every fan who came to movie theatres and theatre staff who are delivering this to the fans,” the film’s official X account said on Monday.
Forbes reported that The Movie: Infinity Castle will hit international theatres in August, when it will premiere in several Asian countries. In Australia, it will be released on September 11. In the US, the UK, and Canada, it will premiere a day later, on September 12.
The previous instalment, The Mugen Train, made $485 million worldwide, $435 million of which was outside the US.
Demon Slayer is originally a manga comic book series that has sold over 200 million copies worldwide, according to its publisher Shueisha.
The work by artist Koyoharu Gotouge follows a combat adventure of boy hero Tanjiro Kamado who fights demons as he searches for a cure for his sister who has become one.
The intense popularity of the series is rivalled only by global titles like Dragon Ball, Naruto, and One Piece, Kyodo News said.
The original manga series appeared in the popular Weekly Shonen Jump magazine from 2016 to 2020.
