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The theatrical run of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle in China concluded abruptly on Dec. 11, 2025, after Chinese regulators denied the film a standard release extension. The decision, which was officially attributed to “unavoidable circumstances,” halted the film’s box office run, despite having a performance that typically would warrant a prolonged stay.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle (Part 1) opened on Nov. 14, 2025, with a dominant debut, earning approximately 354 million yuan (USD 52.4 million) in its opening weekend alone. This figure included a record-breaking USD 12.3 million from IMAX screenings, the highest ever for a Japanese film in the market. The movie ultimately grossed approximately 675 million yuan (USD 96 million) during its 28-day run.
Under normal industry practices in China, foreign films that achieve such commercial success are granted a “key extension,” often allowing them to remain in theaters for an additional 30 days or more. For instance, the 2023 Japanese hit The First Slam Dunk received multiple extensions, playing for five months and accumulating significant revenue.
Demon Slayer Infinity Castle Movie’s Run Halted Amid Political Tensions
According to reports, the denial was likely a reverberation of the poor diplomatic relations between Tokyo and Beijing.
Tensions escalated in early November 2025 after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made remarks regarding the status of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory. Following the statement, Chinese authorities reportedly froze approvals for new Japanese films, including the latest Detective Conan film, and cancelled several scheduled performances by Japanese artists.
When asked if these cancellations were a direct response to this, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning had stated that Takaichi’s comments had “hurt Chinese people’s sentiments” and damaged bilateral cooperation.
While Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle was not pulled mid-run, the refusal to grant an extension is seen as a “soft ban,” capping its potential just as it approached global milestones.
The film was well on its path to become the first Japanese animated feature to cross the USD 1 billion threshold worldwide. Without the additional weeks in the Chinese market, the film’s global gross stalled at approximately USD 789 million.
The freeze on Japanese cultural exports extended beyond cinema.
In late November, Japanese singer Maki Otsuki was reportedly escorted off stage during a performance in Shanghai, and a scheduled Sailor Moon live shows in the country were cancelled too.
The Demon Slayer franchise has faced a volatile history in the Chinese market. The 2020 record-breaking film, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train, was never released in Chinese theaters due to a similar regulatory freeze involving a separate controversy with the film Monster Hunter.
Consequently, Infinity Castle represented the franchise’s first major theatrical release in the mainland.
Source: Mainichi
