Full Steam Ahead: 'Demon Slayer: Mugen Train' Has Record Breaking US Opening

Demon Slayer Kimetsu No Yaiba The Movie: Mugen Train slew all records on its release in Japan last year. Not only did it end Spirited Away's 19-year reign as Japan's all-time box office champ, but it was also in the midst of the pandemic, making it all the more remarkable. It also ended the year as the highest-grossing animated film worldwide, and the second-highest-grossing overall, but this would likely have not been the case had not the international box office been severely hit by the global crisis. Still, the film has managed to also make a splash outside Japan, finding success in South Korea and Hong Kong, before opening at number one in Australia and New Zealand last month. Funimation and Aniplex USA released the film in cinemas in the United States and Canada on April 23 and it can now add some US records to its growing collection.

Mugen Train was in a close battle with the live-action Mortal Kombat movie for the top spot over the course of the weekend. The gory video game adaptation ultimately emerged victorious, but it was a tight run thing, despite Mortal Kombat having much wider publicity and wider name recognition. Ultimately it took over $23 million in its opening weekend, which is Funimation's biggest three-day opening ever, and the number one opening for a foreign-language film in US history.

The movie is a follow-up to the 2019 Demon Slayer TV series and is adapted from the manga by Koyoharu Gotoge, originally serialised in Shonen Jump. Animation comes courtesy of the renowned Studio ufotable, with series director Haruo Sotozaki returning to helm the movie.

Set after the events of the television series, Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train has Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, and Inosuke embark on a new mission. Together with one of the most powerful swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps, Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku, they investigate the mysterious disappearance of over 40 people aboard the Mugen Train.

Demon Slayer Kimetsu No Yaiba The Movie: Mugen Train is now playing on screens across the US and Canada, with a digital release set to follow on June 22 on all major digital storefronts. The film will also hit the big screen in the UK on May 26, with an Irish release set to follow.

Copyright for all images: ©Koyoharu Gotoge / SHUEISHA, Aniplex, ufotable