We’ve witnessed several impressive instances of alternative programming in recent years regarding theHollywood release scheduleTwo films aimed at entirely different groups of viewers are released in theaters on the same weekend, with the expectation that each will drive strong ticket sales by appealing to its particular audience, thereby benefiting the entire industry. The most notable success is undoubtedly Barbenheimer, which created a major cinematic trend a few years back… but it doesn’t always succeed, as shown this weekend.
Justin Tipping’s HIM and Kogonada’s A Grand, Courageous, and Stunning Adventurecould not be more different as cinematic efforts, with the first being a surreal, nightmarish horror film and the second a gentle, romantic fantasy, but what they now have in common, aside from their release date, is disappointing box office performance. Both films debuted in theaters this weekend aiming to attract a diverse range of moviegoers, but neither managed to create any excitement – leaving Haruo Sotozaki’sDemon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Castle of InfinityTo claim the domestic box office victory once more (even with an unusual drop from one weekend to the next). View the Top 10 outcomes in the chart below and stay with me for further discussion.
|
TITLE |
WEEKEND GROSS |
DOMESTIC GROSS |
LW |
THTRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. Demon Slayer: Castle of Eternity |
$17,300,000 |
$104,730,000 |
1 |
3,342 |
|
2. Him* |
$13,500,000 |
$13,500,000 |
N/A |
3,168 |
|
3. The Conjuring: Final Rites |
$12,950,000 |
$151,177,000 |
2 |
3,413 |
|
4. Downton Abbey: The Final Episode |
$6,300,000 |
$31,626,000 |
3 |
3,711 |
|
5. The Long Walk |
$6,300,000 |
$22,719,000 |
4 |
2,845 |
|
6. A Grand, Courageous, and Stunning Adventure* |
$3,500,000 |
$3,500,000 |
N/A |
3,330 |
|
7. The Senior* |
$2,773,021 |
$2,773,021 |
N/A |
2,405 |
|
8. Toy Story |
$1,400,000 |
$198,409,534 |
5 |
2,340 |
|
9. Sight & Sound Presents: Daniel LIVE |
$1,384,408 |
$1,600,727 |
N/A |
933 |
|
10. Weapons |
$1,260,000 |
$149,732,000 |
6 |
1,186 |
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle Remains at the Top Even as Ticket Sales Drop
Since cinemas resumed operations in 2021, the film industry has witnessed several notable successes for anime films at the box office – with some exceptional titles includingHaruo Sotozaki’s Demon Slayer: The Movie – Mugen Train in April 2021 and Tetsuro Kodama’s Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero in August 2022. These titles achieved high rankings domestically during their opening weekend, indicating a strong audience for the content… however, the movies have faced challenges in retaining viewers.
This weekend, we noticed that issue resurfacing again withDemon Slayer: Infinity Castle– as illustrated in the figures provided byThe Numbers.
Seven days prior, I provided an update onthe latest anime movie achieving an impressive opening at the cinema, setting records by generating $70.6 million. There’s no doubt that this is significant, as it became the tenth highest opening for a film in the United States and Canada in 2025 to date (ahead ofthe $64 million earned by Christopher McQuarrie’sMission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning), but here’s the issue: people clearly weren’t very interested in watching it again, and those who weren’t fans weren’t persuaded to purchase a ticket because of the hype. The final outcome is that the newDemon SlayerThe sequel earned only $17.3 million over the past three days, marking a significant drop of about 75 percent.
The additional unfortunate news is that, as mentioned, this is not an uncommon occurrence. In April 2021,Demon Slayer: Mugen Trainsaw a 70% decrease in ticket sales from the weekend to the following week. In August 2022,Dragon Ball Super: The Herosuffered a 78 percent decrease. It’s an obvious trend.
The clear positive aspect in this situation is thatDemon Slayer: Infinity CastleEarned so much money over the weekend that the decline won’t significantly affect its status on the big screen. After all, the $17.3 million made within the country means it has become the newest entry in 2025 to enter the nine-figure club, which includes only 14 other films. It has surpassed major Hollywood movies such as Nisha Ganatra’sFreakier Friday and Marc Webb’s Snow White.
But those figures are relatively small when compared to the film’s success in international markets. $104.7 million is significant for the United States and Canada, but it has generated $450.3 million from other countries, totaling $555 million globally so far. This places it as the ninth highest-grossing blockbuster of the year, having surpassed Matt Shakman’sFantastic Four: First Steps, which is now beginning to leave theaters after earning $519.3 million.
What happens next in the industry will be fascinating to observe.
HIM and A Big Bold Beautiful Journey Fail to Impress During Their First Weeks
While the win for Demon Slayer: Infinity Castlehas been enjoyable to observe (despite the decline in second weekend figures), the acting byHIM and A Grand, Courageous, and Stunning AdventureThe past three days have been less pleasant. The mix of the Halloween season and star power indicated that the two films could gain success at the box office, but ticket sales reveal that it did not go as expected.
We’ve observed numerous horror films performing well in recent months, featuring some notable big-budget releases such as Zach Cregger’sWeapons and Michael Chaves’ The Conjuring: Last Rites, but HIMis not a title that will be remembered as a success for the genre in 2025. The release was given credibility by Jordan Peele’s name, as the frightening football-themed title has him listed as a producer, buta disappointing reaction from criticssaw the film earn only $13.5 million over the weekend and ended up in second place. (perVariety, it was produced with a $27 million budget).
Conditions are significantly worse forA Grand, Courageous, and Stunning Adventure. The title is significant because it is the first film in which Margot Robbie has appeared since the massive commercial success ofBarbieIn 2023… but neither that piece of trivia nor the presence of Colin Farrell as a co-star improved things this weekend. The enchanting romance only earned $3.5 million over the past three days and ended up in sixth place, behind Francis Lawrence’s.The Long Walk.
This was clearly a slow week at the box office, but there’s hope for a recovery in seven days with the release of three distinctly different new films: Paul Thomas Anderson’s action/comedy/dramaOne Battle After Another, the horror of Renny Harlin’sThe Strangers: Chapter 2 and Ryan Crego’s family-friendly Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie. Make sure to return here to the Muara Digital Team next Sunday to find out how these new titles are changing the Top 10.
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