Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is now taking over theaters in Japan with the first new film in a planned full trilogy, but it turns out that work on these new films have gotten started much earlier than fans might have ever thought. When Demon Slayer: Hashira Training Arc brought the TV anime run to its current end with four seasons, it was the surprisingly announced that the franchise would continue with a full feature film trilogy adapting the Infinity Castle arc from Koyoharu Gotoge’s original Demon Slayer manga series. But it’s been in the works for well before that announcement.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle was officially announced in Summer 2024, and has released in theaters in Japan just a year later. This might seem like a quick turnaround, but the reality is that this new trilogy has been in the works for several years. According to a special pamphlet shared with fans in attendance (as shared by @imhimgojou on X), the first film in new trilogy has been in production for three and a half years before the first film’s release.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Has Been in the Works for a While
According to the behind the scenes details shared with fans in celebration of the new movie’s release, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle Chapter 1 has been in development for three and a half years. It was apparently decided by the team that after the release of Mugen Train, that Infinity Castle would be a theatrical trilogy as well. This production schedule for the first film coupled with the demands of the also ongoing TV anime certainly paint a picture for how big of a franchise Demon Slayer has become for ufotable over the years.
This ended up being the right move for the film in the long run as it’s already crossing milestones previously set by Mugen Train, and is likely going to be a very successful trilogy at the box office when all is said and done. It’s certainly a lot to demand for the teams behind the TV anime and feature films, so it’s raised some questions about what or when to expect the final two films in the trilogy if the first film took so long to make its eventual way to screens across Japan.
When Does Demon Slayer’s New Movie Come Out in the U.S.?
Now that Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle Chapter 1 is screening across Japan, it won’t be too much longer until it reaches North America. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle will be coming to theaters in the United States and Canada beginning on September 12th and will be release with both Japanese and English language audio (and will also be available in premium and IMAX formats). International releases for the film will begin later this Summer depending on your territory too.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle features a runtime of two hours and 35 minutes, and that makes it longer than three of the Avengers films. This teases just how much is going to be packed in the first film alone, and that’s before factoring in what could be coming in the rest of the trilogy. A release date or window has yet to be announced for these films as of the time of this writing, but this production schedule teases it might be a longer wait for those new movies than fans would hope.
HT – @imhimgojou on X
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