Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Set to Soar with $56M-$60M Opening Weekend—Sony’s Biggest Hit of the Year, Surpassing ‘Bad Boys 4’ and ‘Venom 3’! | Box Office Insights

Sony’s latest release, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle, is making waves at the box office. With projections between $56M and $60M, it is set to be the biggest anime opening in the U.S. to date. The film snatched an impressive $33M on its opening Friday alone.

Anime films typically see a sharp drop after opening weekend, so forecasts suggest a Saturday drop of about 41%. Still, some optimistic analysts believe it could climb to a whopping $70M by the end of the weekend.

This opening outperforms other significant Sony releases like 28 Years Later ($30M) and Venom: The Last Dance ($51M). The last major opening was Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, which raked in $120.6M.

Interestingly, the excitement around Infinity Castle was not immediately evident. Only a couple of months before the release, Sony ramped up ticket sales, responding to a strong fan base eager for this installment, which is compared to Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back for its pivotal role in the franchise. Audience reaction has been overwhelmingly positive, with a CinemaScore of A, the best ever for a Demon Slayer film.

Marketing played a crucial role, with Sony spending only $74K on linear campaigns. For context, Lionsgate spent $3.5M promoting The Long Walk. Sony effectively leveraged platforms like TBS and Adult Swim to connect with their target audience.

This weekend, premium large-format screens and IMAX are responsible for 44% of Infinity Castle‘s box office revenue, particularly thriving in the West. Demographically, the turnout shows a diverse audience with significant engagement from Hispanic and Latino viewers (37%), followed by Caucasian (27%), Black (16%), and Asian American (14%) audiences. Notably, a majority of viewers (57%) skew male.

Internationally, the film has already grossed approximately $280M, dominated by strong numbers from Japan.

While Infinity Castle shines brightly, it’s competing against Conjuring: Last Rites ($27M) and Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale ($19.5M). This counters Lionsgate’s The Long Walk, which is struggling at an estimated $11-12.5M.

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is particularly noteworthy as it caters to an older demographic, including over 55s who account for 56% of ticket sales. This strategic release illustrates the value of targeted programming in the cinema landscape, as they attract a different audience than younger-focused films.

However, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues is not performing as well, likely to pull in around $1.55M. Despite receiving positive early buzz, it has struggled to resonate with a broader audience.

In total, the weekend market is projected to reach about $147M, a significant increase from last year’s figures. This uptick hints at a cautious yet optimistic recovery of post-COVID cinema.

With Demon Slayer leading the charge, it is clear that anime’s grip on the global box office is set to tighten even further.

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Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Infinity Castle,Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale,The Conjuring: Last Rites,The Long Walk