Can Demon Slayer Smash Box Office Records? Here’s What Early Numbers Reveal
Hype is sky-high as Demon Slayer hits theaters, and insiders are already buzzing—could this be the anime event that rewrites box office history?
Quick heads-up: a few days ago I would have bet without blinking that The Conjuring: Last Rites would run the table this weekend. Then I checked the latest tracking and did a double take.
The surprise contender
BoxOfficePro, which is one of the better box office forecasting outfits out there, currently has Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle favored to land at number one with a huge $60–75 million opening. For an anime release in North America, that is a massive number any way you slice it. To be fair, anime has been climbing fast in the market, and Infinity Castle has already banked over $200 million worldwide. So maybe the shock should be dialed back a bit. Still... those are big-boy numbers.
Why I am not entirely buying it
I respect BoxOfficePro’s track record, and they are more right than wrong, but I’m not fully sold on that ceiling. My read: The Conjuring: Last Rites hangs on to the top slot with around $35 million. Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle still posts a strong debut but closer to $25 million and settles for second place.
The rest of the field
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale feels like a comfy number-three with about $20 million. That series has a loyal base, and the whole "this is the big sendoff" angle should help. Only caveat: Downton skews older, and that crowd does not always rush out on opening weekend.
Fourth is where I slot in The Long Walk at roughly $12 million. The Stephen King name gets people in the door, and if audiences vibe with it, it could have legs. The tone is pretty bleak, though, which might cap how wide it plays.
Rounding out the top five, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues should rally its cult following for about $7 million — just enough to stay ahead of holdovers like Weapons.
My weekend call
- The Conjuring: Last Rites — $35M
- Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle — $25M
- Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale — $20M
- The Long Walk — $12M
- Spinal Tap II: The End Continues — $7M
Am I underselling the Demon Slayer wave, or does this play out pretty much like this? Tell me where you land.