Part one of Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle will hit theatres in Pakistan almost a month before its September 12 premiere in India, according to Crunchyroll.
The highly-anticipated movie, which premiered in Japan on July 18, will hit theatres in Pakistan on August 14, which marks the country’s Independence Day.
According to the release schedule, Infinity Castle will hit theatres in Thailand on August 12, followed by screenings in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Pakistan and Singapore on August 14.
Fans were quick to express their disappointment over the delay in the film’s India release. “Pakistan is getting demon slayer before us. That’s crazy,” one of them wrote on X.
However, fans in Pakistan have been sharing their excitement on social media. Excited that the movie will release in theatres on Pakistan’s Independence Day, a fan tweeted, “14th august ko Demon Slayer ki movie lag rahi hai Pakistan mein?? (Is Demon Slayer movie coming out on August 12 in Pakistan?)”
The first part of the Infinity Castle movie trilogy follows Tanjiro facing off against Upper Rank Three demon Akaza to avenge Fire Hashira Rengoku’s tragic death.
In the movie adaptation of the Mugen Train arc, released in 2020, Rengoku died after a battle with Akaza, which left Tanjiro and others in shock. Years later, Akaza is back, and this time, he won’t be able to escape easily as Tanjiro will avenge the death of his mentor and inspiration.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle opened to 1.7 billion yen (around USD 12 million) at the Japanese box office on July 18, breaking the record for highest opening day collection set by 2020’s Mugen Train.
Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, the first film in the anime franchise, raked in a staggering USD 485 million at the end of its theatrical run in 2020.
A critical and box office success, Mugen Train is the highest-grossing anime movie of all time and the highest-grossing Japanese film at the global box office, with a total collection of over USD 500 million to date.
Infinity Castle is now shaping up to surpass Mugen Train — both commercially and reception-wise. Soon after its premiere in Japan, fans heaped praise on the film for its “insane” visuals, calling it the best Ufotable production ever.