Crunchyroll Dates ‘Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle’ Trilogy as Japan Opening Breaks Records

Global anime distributor Crunchyroll officially confirmed on Saturday that ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle: Part 1’ will arrive in North American theaters on February 13, 2026, kicking off the franchise’s highly anticipated three-part theatrical finale. The announcement follows a historic domestic debut in Japan, where the film premiered on November 21 and earned an estimated ¥4.2 billion ($28.1 million) within its first 48 hours. Data from the Japanese box office tracking firm Kogyo Tsushinsha indicates that the film’s opening velocity has surpassed the 2020 record-holder ‘Mugen Train’ by nearly 12%, driven by a saturation release across 450 screens nationwide.

Sony Pictures Entertainment, which co-distributes the franchise with Crunchyroll, detailed an aggressive exhibition strategy for the Western rollout that includes a guaranteed four-week exclusivity window in Premium Large Format auditoriums. Tickets for the North American engagements are scheduled to go on sale December 15, with prices for the “Hashira Fan Screenings” set at a premium $25.00 in major metropolitan markets like Los Angeles and Toronto. To support the release, studio Ufotable has delivered a new 4K remaster of the film specifically optimized for IMAX laser projection systems, a technical upgrade that reportedly added $2 million to the post-production budget.

Merchandise sales associated with the Japanese launch have overwhelmed retailers in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, with the Animate flagship store reporting a complete sell-through of “Upper Rank” character goods by Saturday afternoon. Secondary market prices for the limited-edition “Infinity Fortress” popcorn buckets, originally sold at concessions for ¥3,500 ($23), have already surged to over ¥15,000 ($100) on resale platforms like Mercari. Industry analysts predict that the trilogy structure could yield a cumulative global gross exceeding $1.5 billion, fundamentally altering how anime studios approach series finales moving forward.

The theatrical shift for the ‘Demon Slayer’ conclusion represents a significant gamble for the anime industry, effectively removing the property from television broadcast for the next 18 months. However, streaming rights for Part 1 have been pre-negotiated with Netflix and Hulu for a “Summer 2026” window, ensuring that the digital tail remains lucrative. In a statement released alongside the dating news, Crunchyroll President Rahul Purini emphasized that the trilogy format allows for “uncompromising visual fidelity” that would be technically impossible within the constraints of a weekly television production schedule.

Competitor studios are reacting swiftly to the February scheduling, with Warner Bros. reportedly considering a one-week delay for its animated feature ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’ in select Asian markets to avoid a direct collision with the anime juggernaut. Meanwhile, exhibition chains in the United States are preparing for the influx of cosplay-heavy crowds, with AMC Theatres announcing updated guidelines for prop weapons in anticipation of the fan events. The demand for anime content in cinemas has grown 45% year-over-year since 2023, establishing the genre as a critical pillar for exhibitor recovery in the first quarter.