LOS ANGELES — “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle” carved out a place in box office history this weekend, slicing straight to No. 1 to outpace the horror sequel “The Conjuring: Last Rites.” The Sony-owned Crunchyroll release shattered expectations with a mighty $70 million debut in North America, according to Sunday estimates from Comscore.
That haul marks the biggest domestic opening ever for an anime film, surpassing “Pokémon: The First Movie,” which opened with $31 million in 1999.
The film also opened in 49 international markets, earning a global total so far of $178 million. “The Conjuring: Last Rites” took the No. 2 spot at the box office, earning $26 million in North America.
Top 10 movies by domestic box office
With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:
1. “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle” $70 million
2. “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” $26 million.
3. “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale,” $18.1 million.
4. “The Long Walk,” $11.5 million.
5. ““Toy Story (30th Anniversary),” $3.5 million.
6. “Weapons,” $2.75 million.
7. “Hamilton,” $2.2 million.
8. “Freakier Friday,” $2.1 million.
9. ““Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” $1.6 million.
10. “The Sound of Music (60th Anniversary),” $1.4 million.
