Nobody expected Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie Mugen Train to underperform at the box office, but even the most optimistic of fans couldn’t have expected the level of success the film has seen since it released in Japanese theaters just 10 days ago. After destroying opening day and opening weekend box office numbers, the movie has continued to go from strength to strength, with the latest numbers cementing Demon Slayer: Mugen Train as the fastest film ever to reach 10 billion yen at the box office, with 7,983,442 cinema tickets sold. I thought this was a steam train, not a bullet train!
劇場版「#鬼滅の刃」無限列車編、公開10日間で観客動員 798万3442人（興行収入 107億5423万2550円）と、大変多くの方にご覧いただき、心より御礼申し上げます。
観てくださったお一人おひとりに、そして、作品を届けてくださっている映画館関係者の方々に、本作を楽しんでいただけていれば幸いです。 pic.twitter.com/iFBE6PNLDe— 鬼滅の刃公式 (@kimetsu_off) October 26, 2020
To put this into perspective for just a second, this box office record far surpasses the likes of Spirited Away, the current record-holder for the highest-grossing film ever at the Japanese box office, which took 25 days to reach the same figure that Demon Slayer has achieved in under 2 weeks. Recent box office successes like Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name and Weathering With You took longer still to reach this number, taking 28 and 34 days respectively. Part of this success is obviously related to the popularity of the series which has broken manga publishing records, but at the same time, these numbers are somewhat difficult to comprehend!
At this point, you have to wonder whether the film can overtake Spirited Away as the highest-ever grossing film at the Japanese box office. That film grossed 30.8 billion yen over its cinema run. The success of Demon Slayer may have front-loaded ticket sales and cinema visitors which could impede it on this goal, but after two record-breaking weekends, it’s hard to say it doesn’t at least have a chance.
In just 10 days, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie Mugen Train has broken almost ever box office record imaginable, and I’m excited to see just where it can go from here. The film is now showing in Japanese theaters, and you can find out more over on the series’ official website.