As is tradition, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, the first in a trilogy of anime films marking the conclusion of the megapopular anime, is in theaters and performing well at the box office. However, the question on every anime fan’s lips is when they should expect to see the film pop up on streaming platforms. A Crunchyroll executive’s sentiment on the matter should encourage fans to get their fix in theaters, as it won’t be coming to the orange streamer anytime soon.
Speaking with Popverse, Mitchel Berger, Crunchyroll’s executive vice president of global commerce, lauded the film for its historic box office numbers while encouraging fans to move the needle a little more to get its numbers up. Of course, laden in that message was the ire of every person googling “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle streaming?” with Berger closing out his remarks by confirming the film won’t make its way to Crunchyroll this year.
“Go see [Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle] in theaters because the theater is the only place you’re going to be able to see this film in 2025,” Berger told Popverse. “If you want to go see it, go see it in the theater because that’s the only place it’s going to be available.”
Reading between the lines, fans will likely have to sit on their hands for Infinity Castle to hit streaming sometime in 2026. Time will tell whether it’ll be the film as is or the film coupled with episodic chunks of the movie, like what Aniplex did with the last Demon Slayer film, Mugen Train. Pessimism over the successful anime series getting milked for all they’re worth aside, Infinity Castle‘s cultural precedence shouldn’t be understated.
The film, which premiered in theaters last week, is already poised to become the highest-grossing anime movie of all time, bringing home an estimated $468 million worldwide on its opening weekend, according to the Hollywood Reporter. This milestone comes with huge bragging rights, considering Mugen Train had the most successful opening for a foreign film at the time, as well as being 2020’s highest-grossing film. And that was all achieved alongside the pandemic.
In io9’s review for Infinity Castle, we said the film was killer with some filler and a whole lot of flashy anime action, writing, “As far as first acts go, Infinity Castle breaks out of the gate full steam ahead. It’s not the most narratively trailblazing entry in the franchise, but it sets the stage for a finale that could be truly unforgettable. Any fan would be lucky to bear witness to it on the biggest screen possible.”
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle is playing in theaters and IMAX.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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