Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle - Akaza Sairai, the opening chapter of the Infinity Castle trilogy, earned a Critics Choice Award nomination for Best Superhero Movie alongside the live-action Exit 8 film. The winners will be announced on August 6.

The nomination comes after the anime film dominated theaters globally. In Japan alone, it became a phenomenon—the film opened July 18, 2025, and ran for 266 days, eventually becoming the second highest-earning film of all time at the Japanese box office. It surpassed Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away and earned approximately 40.2 billion yen ($252.5 million) domestically, with 27.5 million tickets sold in Japan.

Internationally, the numbers are equally staggering. The film grossed $740.5 million worldwide on 98.5 million tickets sold, making it the first Japanese film ever to earn over 100 billion yen globally. According to Box Office Mojo, it ranked as the seventh highest-grossing film worldwide in 2025 and the number two animated film in the U.S., earning $134.5 million domestically.

The film's U.S. and Canadian run began on September 12, 2025, with an expanded North American theatrical return on March 6, 2026. Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment even brought the film to SCREENX multi-projection screens for the first time, expanding its reach beyond traditional theaters.

Now streaming fans can experience the film through digital platforms. Starting July 28, Crunchyroll will stream Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle worldwide outside of Japan and Mainland China. The film is also available for purchase on July 28 through Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, and Fandango.

With the Critics Choice nomination and its undeniable box office success, the Infinity Castle trilogy's opening installment has cemented itself as a cultural juggernaut that transcends anime fandom—proving the franchise's appeal extends far beyond dedicated anime audiences.