Last week, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle took the crown in September movie releases. At the turn of October, the Japanese anime film has surpassed DC and Marvel comic-book live-action movies, echoing its own truth—anime has arrived, and it's here to stay!
When September ended, the latest outing in the Demon Slayer franchise crossed $616 million in global box office collections, surpassing the likes of James Gunn's Superman and the latest hit in Marvel Cinematic Universe, Fantastic Four: First Steps.
So, how did a 'fringe' movie achieve this feat?
Demon Slayer box office performance
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle crossed Rs 51,436 crore or $616 million, and is now the 7th highest-grossing film of 2025 worldwide, according to aggregator Koimoi. Other sources provide much higher figures, with local markets yet to report.
In contrast, the other two 'fantasy' hits of 2025 weren't that bad. But it only took the Japanese anime film 2-3 weeks to beat them.
Superman earned ₹51,428 crore or $615.9 million, overall as of September end. Fantastic Four: First Steps grossed ₹43,529 crore or $521.3 million, a number Demon Slayer surpassed last week.
It even beat Tom Cruise starrer Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (₹49,979 crore or $598.8 million).
India box office performance
According to the local box office observer, Sacnilk, Demon Slayer grossed Rs 84 crore in India, with net collections at Rs 69 crore. Almost Rs 40 crore of it came from the opening weekend itself.
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Half of India's earnings came from the Japanese version with English subtitles (aka Sub). Close to 20 per cent came from the Hindi dub and another 15 per cent from the English dub versions. Another 20 per cent were from regional language dubs.
Crunchyroll CEO Rahul Purini recently told The Hollywood Reporter about the rise of anime and the cultural impact it now has on the global stage.
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"I've been saying for three or four years now that anime fandom is no longer niche — it's mainstream and gigantic," he announced.
