Demon Slayer Movie Earns Over $40 Million USD in Opening Weekend

UPDATE: A new report from Japanese outlet Famitsu has updated the film’s three-day gross. Demon Slayer has earned $43.58 million USD in its opening weekend.

Demon Slayer has been teasing fans about its big movie debut for months now, and the time has come for audiences to check out the film. The hit series debuted its first movie this past weekend in Japan with overwhelming success. The anime feature has enjoyed sold-out showings in its opening weekend, and Demon Slayer has the box office earnings to prove it.

Recently, a report from Deadline broke down the film’s opening weekend, and it was there fans learned how popular Demon Slayer is. The anime has earn more than $30 million USD since its debut on Friday, October 16. Deadline says the total could be even higher by the time Japan releases its official box office figures this Tuesday.

As you can imagine, $30 million is an impressive number for any anime film. Japan has a mighty moviegoing population, but it is smaller than powerhouses such as China and the United States. In the past, Japan’s box office broke records with Makoto Shinkai’s films Your Name and Weathering With You. The two films earned $12.5 million and $15.2 million during their opening weekends respectively. And with a push from Demon Slayer, that box office record has been pushed to $30 million.

Given this year’s barren movie slate, Demon Slayer has also positioned itself with one of the top openings in the world. Dozens of films have been pushed to 2021 given the ongoing pandemic, but Japan has been able to reopen its theaters thanks to its management of COVID-19. Demon Slayer’s debut at $30 million is one of the highest openings since the pandemic shuttered theaters in April. Tenant recently opened in the U.S. to $20 million USD while New Mutants limped along with $7 million. Clearly, Demon Slayer has blown them out of the water, and fans are eager to see how its overall gross fares in the coming weeks.

Are you impressed by the film’s insane opening weekend? Do you plan to see Demon Slayer when it comes to a theater near you? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.