It's official, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle Arc, the final arc of the popular manga series, is being adapted into a trilogy of movies that will be released in theaters. Reports of this first broke last week when the Jump Victory Carnival's website prematurely leaked the news. However, the official announcement came this weekend following the final episode of the Demon Slayer: Hashira Training Arc.
The Infinity Castle Arc is the first half of the overarching Final Battle Arc in the Demon Slayer manga. It features the final battle between the Demon Slayer corps and Muzan and his demons.
No release date was announced but it was confirmed that Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment have acquired the rights to the trilogy of movies for a global theatrical release excluding select Asian territories and Japan.
The announcement was accompanied by a teaser trailer and some visual key art, which you can check out below.
Studio ufotable, which produces the Demon Slayer anime, has already experienced great success with theatrical releases. Demon Slayer: Mugen Train was released in 2020 and even during the COVID-19 pandemic found great commercial success. It grossed over $507 million worldwide, not only making it the highest-grossing anime film of all time but also the highest-grossing film of all of 2020.
The film was also met with rave reviews from both critics and fans alike. "Demon Slayer's visually stunning animation and masterful action set pieces serve a heartfelt plot that is sure to satisfy fans," the critics consensus reads alongside its 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes. It boasts an even more impressive 99% Audience Score.
Ufotable has since released two other Demon Slayer adaptations in theaters — To the Swordsmith Village in 2023 and To the Hashira Training in 2024. However, unlike Mugen Train, which was produced specifically for a theatrical release, both of these movies acted as compilation films to the anime television series. To the Swordsmith Village incorporated footage from the last two episodes of the second season and the first episode of the third season, while To the Hashira Training featured the last episode of the third season and the first episode of the fourth season. The films were met with generally positive reviews and grossed $56 million and $44 million worldwide, respectively.
We've likely got some time until Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle arrives in theaters, which means now is the perfect time to start watching Demon Slayer if you haven't been already. The full TV anime series and the Mugen Train Arc are available to stream in both sub and dub formats on Crunchyroll.