Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Or The Conjuring: Last Rites — Which Film Dominated North American Theatres This Weekend? (Photo Credit – Instagram)
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Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part 1 and The Conjuring: Last Rites have turned out to be the two biggest names driving moviegoers to theatres across the United States and much of the world. While one signals the beginning of the conclusion of a celebrated anime saga, the other closes the curtain on the highest-earning horror franchise in Hollywood. With most other films struggling to find steady audiences in North America, these two titles continue to fight for dominance at the box office.
The Conjuring: Last Rites Starts Strong But Stumbles
Despite its strong start, The Conjuring: Last Rites failed to maintain its initial momentum. The movie opened with a historic figure of over $84 million during its first weekend (per Box Office Mojo), the best ever debut for a horror movie in the United States. The hype and brand popularity initially carried it through, but the cracks started to show quickly. The second weekend witnessed a steep 70% fall, reducing its haul to only $25.6 million.
Last weekend, the film managed a mere $12.2 million across Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Friday brought in about $3.6 million, Saturday saw a bump to $5.4 million, and Sunday slipped down to just over $3 million. This Monday, the film’s daily earnings fell under the one million mark in North America for the first time since its launch.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle has achieved something few expected. The first of a three-part finale, the anime feature has become a cultural phenomenon beyond Japan. It has already gathered over $556 million globally, with over $106 million coming from North America alone (per Box Office Mojo). Such numbers show the scale of its reach for a medium often seen as niche in English-speaking markets. The opening weekend made history in the US by delivering over $70 million in its first three days, the highest ever for an anime or a non-Hollywood production.
Its strength has been the pull across diverse audiences. Japan remains its strongest market, but the reception in the United States and other territories highlights how anime has broken into mainstream cinema. Last weekend, Infinity Castle collected about $17 million in the US, even though that figure reflected a steep fall of 75.5% compared to its record-breaking debut. Yet, the drop did not stop it from outperforming The Conjuring: Last Rites by more than 40% the same weekend.
Infinity Castle has also overtaken Mugen Train, the previous record-holder from the same franchise, to become the highest-earning anime of all time.
The Conjuring: Last Rites Vs Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle – Which Film Dominated In The US Last Weekend?
Going by the above numbers, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle’s $17 million weekend earnings in the US edged past The Conjuring: Last Rites’ $12.2 million. Although both films managed to pull in huge numbers, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle has taken the lead against The Conjuring: Last Rites, which surprised many, given the horror franchise’s popularity. The anime film was released in North America on September 12, 2025, a week after The Conjuring: Last Rites premiered on September 5.
Let’s look at how the two films stack up against each other at the worldwide box office:
The Conjuring: Last Rites Box Office Summary
Domestic – $151.5 million
International – $249.5 million
Worldwide – $401 million
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Box Office Summary
Domestic – $106.3 million
International – $450.2 million
Worldwide – $556.5 million
As the numbers reveal, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle is ahead of The Conjuring Last Rites by $155 million at the worldwide box office.
Global Market Keeps The Conjuring: Last Rites Alive
The sharp drop in The Conjuring: Last Rites’ earnings has been attributed to a lackluster storyline, weak direction, and a send-off that left longtime fans dissatisfied. Yet, the global reach of the series has kept the numbers afloat. International markets have been kinder, helping the film soar past 400 million dollars worldwide. It has also secured the crown of the highest-grossing entry in the Conjuring series, surpassed all other horror titles released this year, and currently sits at number four in the all-time global list of horror hits, per The Numbers.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Show Shifting Trends At The Global Box Office
Comparing the two movies, one sees how differently they have unfolded. The Conjuring had the perfect launchpad but stumbled with execution, while Demon Slayer arrived with high expectations and managed to exceed them. The anime film’s ability to pull in non-traditional audiences speaks to a shifting trend in global movie tastes. The Conjuring: Last Rites will still be remembered for breaking records early and giving the franchise its highest total ever, but Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle has made a stronger statement by dominating a field where Japanese anime had rarely managed to compete before.
The contest between these two titles has given movie lovers much to follow, but the clear winner so far is Demon Slayer, a film that has redefined what an anime can achieve at the worldwide box office.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Trailer
The Conjuring: Last Rites Trailer
Note: Box office numbers are based on estimates and various sources. Numbers have not been independently verified by Koimoi.
