3d ago
The standard edition DVD and Blu-ray for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1: Akaza Returns will be released at Lawson stores on July 29, 2026, with a Lawson-exclusive bonus set of three smartphone stickers featuring Tanjiro Kamado, Giyu Tomioka, and Akaza. The film was the only Japanese work nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards. The animation is produced by ufotable.
Jul 4
Crunchyroll announced at Anime Expo on July 3 that the first film in the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle trilogy will begin streaming on its service on July 28. The film, titled Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle - Akaza Sairai, will be available worldwide outside Japan and Mainland China. It will also be released for digital purchase on the same day through platforms including Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, and Fandango. Crunchyroll will stream the film under the title Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle I, with options for Japanese with English subtitles and an English dub. Additional dub languages include Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Castilian Spanish, Catalan, Russian, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, and Polish. Subtitled languages include Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, European Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Castilian Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Polish, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Melayu. The film opened in Japan on July 18, 2025, and ended its theatrical run on April 9 after 266 days. It sold 27,455,968 tickets in Japan, earning 40.2 billion yen (about $252.5 million). Worldwide, the film sold 98,520,310 tickets and earned 117.9 billion yen (about $740.5 million). The film won Best Animated Film at the 49th Japan Academy Film Prizes and Animation of the Year-Film at the Tokyo Anime Award Festival.
Jun 28
A press release from Amazon Prime Video Canada inadvertently revealed that Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle will be available on Crunchyroll starting July 29, 2026. The reference was later removed, and Crunchyroll has not officially confirmed the date. The film, which debuted in Japanese theaters on July 18, 2025, became the highest-grossing anime movie ever with over $793 million worldwide and won Film of the Year at the 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
Jun 15
Animate revealed the bonus illustration for the Blu-ray and DVD of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1: Akaza's Return. The image shows Tanjiro Kamado and Giyu Tomioka fighting back-to-back. The discs release July 29, 2026.
Jun 14
Ufotable has released the store-specific purchase bonuses for the Blu-ray and DVD release of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1, set for July 29, 2026. Animate, Amazon, and Rakuten Books each get exclusive newly drawn illustrations featuring Tanjiro and Giyu, Shinobu, and Zenitsu respectively.
Jun 12
Animate stores nationwide will hold a two-phase commemorative fair for the Blu-ray and DVD release of "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1: Akaza's Return," starting July 28, 2026. Bonuses include photo cards and clear bookmarks featuring ufotable's newly drawn mini characters. A lottery-based group photo session event will also be held in seven cities.
Jun 1
Rakuten Group has launched a second collaboration campaign with Demon Slayer to promote the Blu-ray and DVD release of Infinity Castle Arc - Chapter 1: Akaza's Return. Participants across Rakuten services can win an original drawstring bag featuring a newly drawn illustration of the Shopping Panda with Demon Slayer characters. The campaign runs until August 31.
May 31
Crunchyroll is releasing Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle on over 3,300 screens in North America, six times the average for an anime release over the past decade. According to Anime By The Numbers, even the most conservative estimates project the film will become the highest-grossing anime movie in US history by box office receipts. The previous record holder among anime films in the US is Pokémon: The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back, which earned $85 million in 1999. The prior Demon Slayer film, Mugen Train, earned just under $50 million in 2021, helped by its timing as the first wide anime release after COVID lockdowns. Infinity Castle has already broken records internationally: it is the second-highest grossing film in Japanese box office history, the best-performing animated film ever in Taiwan, and the third best-performing animated film in South Korea. The newsletter notes that Crunchyroll and GKIDS have recently pushed for longer theatrical runs for anime, with Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye nearly doubling its box office after opening weekend. Deadline is cited reporting that anime moviegoers buy tickets upfront and attend early, with little walk-up business.
May 30
Hikaru Kondo, founder and producer of ufotable, spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about the production of Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, the first film in a planned trilogy adapting the final arc of Koyoharu Gotouge's manga. The film has grossed $722 million worldwide, including $134.5 million in North America, making it the highest-grossing Japanese film of all time. Kondo described his role as sending creative prompts to the studio's roughly 300 in-house staff, with storyboards serving as a launch pad for animators to experiment with action sequences and camera motion. When asked about a reported $20 million budget, Kondo declined to confirm the figure but noted that a Hollywood sequel with similar box office performance would justify a budget of $100 million to $150 million. Aniplex producer Yuma Takahashi, who joined the conversation, said he would "sincerely try my best" regarding budget for future installments. Kondo also addressed ufotable's history of receiving offers from Hollywood studios, stating the company evaluates each project individually without changing its fundamental production approach. He emphasized that the studio's strength comes from long-term staff retention and a trial-and-error process blending 2D and 3D animation.