Crunchyroll He announced that he is preparing an unprecedented campaign to take Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle to the next edition of the Oscars. After becoming the highest grossing anime film in history. with more than 555 million dollars raised worldwide. The company seeks that both its spectacular animation and its narrative are recognized by the Academy of Hollywood. The objective is not only to highlight the talent of the Ufotable studio, but also to demonstrate the global reach of the anime as a cultural phenomenon that already transcends any niche label.
A candidacy that breaks records and myths of the anime
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the CEO of Crunchyroll, , Rahul Purini, confirmed that the company will support Infinity Castle to compete in the category of Best animated feature film and other key nominations. «We think the film is amazing: the animation, the story, the quality on all fronts. Fans deserve to be considered for the awards», said Purini.
The film directed by Haruo Sotozaki Not only has it conquered the public, but it has also established historical marks. With more than $555 million at the global box office, it positions itself as the most successful Japanese film of all time and the ninth highest-grossing of 2025, surpassing Marvel’s Fantastic Four: First Steps (519.8 million). In North America he raised 104.7 million dollars, breaking the record Pokemon: The First Movie It held for more than two decades with 85.74 million.
The cultural phenomenon of Demon Slayer
Purini He also stressed that this global success shows that anime ceased to be entertainment for a single group of people. The anime fandom is no longer small: it is mainstream and gigantic, he commented. Box office data reflects the diversity of its audience: 8.91 million tickets sold from Demon Slayer in the United States and Canada, and 23.7 million in Japan, for a total of 67 million entries equivalent to 82.3 billion yen.
besides, Purini He stressed that the audience exceeds any ethnic or cultural expectation. Anime excels in different groups, from Hispanics and African Americans to South Asians. This breadth confirms what Crunchyroll has observed for years: the anime is now a global phenomenon, capable of competing in the same arena as the largest productions of Hollywood.
©吾峠呼世晴／集英社・アニプレックス・ ufotable
