Crunchyroll Chief Content Officer Asa Suehira teased that Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle will be released on an “unprecedented scale” in theaters globally, with the anime film looking to build on massive previous international grosses, such as Mugen Train in North America (~$50m).
Speaking to Branc in a new interview, Suehira was asked about the progress of theatrical anime releases and the expectation that Infinity Castle will be a big topic this year. He replied, “That’s right. Since the huge success of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie Mugen Train, the attention of theater owners around the world to anime has changed. Infinity Castle will also be released on an unprecedented scale. I think it will be a milestone movie for theatrical anime, so I think it is Crunchyroll’s responsibility to deliver solid results.“
ALSO READ:
Sony Is Developing AI Anime Technology for Coloring in Collaboration With A-1 Pictures & CloverWorks
Suehira also spoke about plans to produce anime suited to different international markets, as is the stated aim of Crunchyroll and Aniplex’s new anime production joint venture, HAYATE, and his outlook on Crunchyroll’s user growth, anime awards, and upcoming manga app. Suehira believes the initial launch of Crunchyroll Manga will have many titles previously adapted to anime. Nevertheless, he hopes to carry manga without adaptations and to leverage user data to develop anime with other Japanese companies.
Many are expecting Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle to easily surpass Mugen Train‘s $50m gross in the U.S. (~$506m globally), with the anime franchise’s fanbase likely having swelled years on. Mugen Train initially opened in 1,605 theaters in North America (The Numbers), peaking at 2,087, with lots of room to increase when considering Demon Slayer‘s popularity and that many Hollywood titles push nearly double that.
ALSO READ:
Crunchyroll Reveals Full Summer 2025 Anime Lineup and Release Date Schedule
Crunchyroll even went to theater owners last year at CinemaCon 2024 to pitch anime as a viable medium to carry; IndieWire characterized the theater owners’ initial effusiveness as “what’s probably best described as polite applause” to a presentation given by Crunchyroll Executive VP of global commerce and head of theatrical, Mitchel Berger, but added that they later perked up when they heard estimates that the anime industry would generate $37 billion in 2025. Berger was also at Annecy earlier this month, where he screened a preview of Infinity Castle to attendees and gave a presentation on anime’s growth and appeal.
Outside of the compilation films, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle will be the anime franchise’s second film, and the first of a planned trilogy. Marking a difference from when Mugen Train was released, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Crunchyroll will distribute the film, replacing Aniplex of America and Funimation (which was absorbed into Crunchyroll in 2022). In a recent interview, Noritaka Kawaguchi, the founder of CoMix Wave Films (Makoto Shinkai’s Suzume, Your Name, Weathering with You), spoke at length about film distribution in the U.S., arguing that American award panels have only recently become more diverse and open to non-Big Five studio distributors and international films.
He added that if Sony had distributed Shinkai’s Your Name in 2016 instead of Funimation, it could’ve received award nominations, but now even titles like The Boy and the Heron and Flow can win the Academy Award.
Source: Branc
© Koyoharu Gotoge / SHUEISHA / Aniplex / ufotable
ALSO READ:
Solo Leveling Officially Becomes Most Viewed Anime of All Time on Crunchyroll, per Sony
Participate In Discussions