“Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train,” the animated movie that holds the record as the highest-grossing film to ever open in Japan, will now hit theaters in North America.
Last year, “Demon Slayer” took the crown (during a pandemic!) from Hayao Miyazaki’s beloved “Spirited Away” which held the title in Japan for 19 years, grossing $354.9 million in Japan. It became the fastest movie — live-action or animated — to surpass $100 million at the Japanese box office after only 10 days and is the most successful IMAX release ever in Japan.
The anime film will now open in the U.S. and Canada on April 23, including in 4DX and on IMAX screens, and the film will be available in both an English language dub and as a subtitled version. It will then debut on digital beginning June 22, with pre-orders beginning April 26. Check out the subtitled trailer for “Demon Slayer – The Movie” above.
Aniplex of America and Funimation are handling the North American distribution plans.
“Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train” is directed by Haruo Sotozaki and features an original story by Koyoharu Gotoge with a screenplay and animation production by studio ufotable. The film is based on a popular anime series that first premiered in 2019 and a manga that boasts over 150 million copies in circulation in Japan.
“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” is about a young man in search of a cure for his sister, who has been turned into a demon after their family is viciously slaughtered by demons. The story is set in Japan in the early 1900s and imagines a world inhabited by demons and those that vow to slay them. “Mugen Train” in particular is set after the events of the TV series and sees the main characters 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.
“We are thrilled to be bringing ‘Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train’ to theaters in North America,” Shu Nishimoto, president of Aniplex of America, said in a statement. “The support from fans worldwide has truly been the driving force behind the series, and we can’t wait for everyone to experience the next chapter in Tanjiro’s journey as a Demon Slayer.”
“‘Demon Slayer’s’ record-breaking box office sales in Japan have elevated the series–and anime itself– to a new level,” Colin Decker, CEO of Funimation Global Group, said in a statement. “It is a truly global-scale franchise, and we’re honored to be the home and distributor of the film in many territories worldwide.”
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