Demon Slayer's season four Hashira Training arc was an absolute hit, setting the story up for the Infinity Castle arc, which will be the series' most riveting yet. It has been announced that in lieu of another season, this arc will receive three theatrically released films instead that will bring Demon Slayer's story to an emotional close.

A short teaser trailer was revealed a few months ago, sparking excitement for the films, although no specific release date was confirmed. However, it has been announced that the first film will come out in 2025, meaning the trilogy will kick off very soon, much to the excitement of not just fans, but anime execs in the industry.

Toho Execs Predict Demon Slayer’s Infinity Castle Films Will Be the Most Successful Yet

The Trilogy Is Already Predicted To Sur the Studio’s Current Top Film, Your Name

According to Demon Slayer's Infinity Castle trilogy is predicted to not just rule the theatrical box office when it releases, but completely change it forever. Past Demon Slayer movies that have hit theaters have been immensely successful, earning some of the highest revenues of any anime films ever, so it is no surprise that the trilogy is anticipated to shake up the box office completely. Executive Managing Director Ichikawa Minami commented that "the film industry's box office revenue for this year, including both Japanese and foreign films, will be "around 200 billion yen."

Of this 200 billion yen, Minami predicts that Toho, the studio making the Demon Slayer films, will be responsible for 91 to 92 billion of those yen, which is a staggering percentage. Toho has had quite a few hit films lately, including Your Name, which was the company's highest-earning film ever at 85.4 billion yen. The studio has proven their reliable track record for creating films that fans adore, and with a massive franchise like Demon Slayer in their hands, it is no great shock that the Infinity Castle trilogy is predicted to carry the 2025 box office on its shoulders.

Demon Slayer Mugen Train Already Changed the Anime Industry Forever

Mugen Train Altered How Studios Approach Anime Movies

Demon Slayer's first movie, Mugen Train, was a bold experiment in one particular way: it was a canonical film to the main series, continuing the story that had been told in the TV anime. For decades, most anime movies have been side stories at best, like the My Hero Academia films, or outright non-canonical, like the numerous Dragon Ball films of the 1990s. This was largely done in order to reach as wide an audience as possible, allowing those who are only vaguely familiar with the franchise in question to enjoy the movies on the same level as the most dedicated fans.

Mugen Train, however, was a direct continuation of the anime's story--the final scenes of season 1 are the first scenes of the new film, connecting them. This approach allowed them to take a very dramatic, fairly stand-alone arc of the story and give it the Big Screen treatment, enhancing the quality of the animation and storytelling to film levels. Demon Slayer's success with this approach inspired other series to attempt the same, such as with Jujutsu Kaisen 0 and the Chainsaw Man movie. Even Dragon Ball has gotten in, with Super Hero considered a canon continuation of Dragon Ball Super.

The once-unthinkable canon anime film is now quickly becoming standard practice, all because of Demon Slayer's success with Mugen Train. Taking the most important story arcs and giving them the high quality that a film needs to succeed is definitely winning over fans, and it's proven that, provided the arc can stand on its own, it has little impact on non-fans seeing the film.

Demon Slayer’s Infinity Castle Films Are Guaranteed To Change the Box Office Forever

Due to the Franchise’s Past Successes, Like the Mugen Train Movie, These Predictions Are Sure To Come True

One of the executives, Mitsutaka Yoshida, noted the incredible positive reception to the 2020 Demon Slayer: Mugen Train Arc movie as proof of the Infinity Castle arc's anticipated success. Even during a pandemic year, when not many people were attending movie theaters in person due to safety precautions, the movie "saved the film industry at a time when the future of the industry was in doubt." Demon Slayer's theatrically released movies have always seemed to perform astonishingly well, and since Demon Slayer fans have been waiting to see this manga arc adapted for years, the trilogy will likely exceed expectations.

Toho's executives have high hopes for the Demon Slayer Infinity Castle trilogy, and their optimistic outlook is reasonable considering how well-received anime films were in 2024. With fantastic film releases like Blue Lock the Movie: Episode Nagi and Spy × Family Code: White, 2024 was one of the best years for anime movies ever, introducing plenty of new audience to these established franchises. 2025 is already gearing up to crush the records set in 2024, and Demon Slayer's Infinity Castle movie trilogy may be the key to higher box office numbers than an anime film has ever received previously.

Source: Mantan Web