Hey, everyone! We have got to talk about the huge Demon Slayer news that just dropped. With the conclusion of Season Four, Ufotable has once again delivered some of the best animation I have ever seen. It’s like they’re just showing off at this point! But hold onto your swords because the finale of the Hashira Training arc came with a massive update: the final arc of the entire series will be adapted into three full-length animated feature films!
This is a really interesting choice, so let’s dive deeper into why this decision makes sense. Get ready, because here we go!
When Are the Movies Coming Out?
First off, when are these movies going to be released? The announcement was made just a few days ago, and while there are no solid release dates yet, we can make some educated guesses. Ufotable has released Demon Slayer content every year since it first aired, so it’s a safe bet that the first movie will hit theaters sometime in 2025. The Hashira Training arc had only eight episodes, so it’s likely they are already hard at work on the upcoming films, which is super exciting.
Why Movies Instead of Another Season?
You might be wondering why Ufotable chose to do movies instead of another season or two of anime. Interestingly, Ufotable has done a series of three anime films before with Type Moon’s Fate/Stay Night: Heaven’s Feel trilogy. Examining the release schedule of those films might give us a good indication of what to expect with the Infinity Castle movies.
The first Heaven’s Feel movie was released on October 14, 2017, the second on January 12, 2019, and the third on August 15, 2020. The gaps between the films were about one to one and a half years. We can probably expect similar production times for the Demon Slayer films. The Heaven’s Feel trilogy had about a two-hour runtime each, so it’s reasonable to assume that the Demon Slayer movies will have similar lengths.
The Success of Mugen Train
But why movies? Why not another season? For this answer, we need to look at the Mugen Train movie. When it was released in 2020, Mugen Train set a new record as Japan’s highest-grossing film of all time, surpassing Miyazaki’s Spirited Away. It grossed ¥40.43 billion (about $250 million) and was the highest-grossing film worldwide in 2020, bringing in over $500 million at the international box office. This was during the pandemic, when theater attendance was down!
Given that these new movies will conclude the entire Demon Slayer franchise, it’s likely that they will break even more records. Financially, it makes a lot of sense to go the movie route instead of TV seasons.
The Pros and Cons of Films vs. TV Series
There are pros and cons to doing films instead of a television series. On the plus side, anime films usually have bigger budgets, which can lead to higher production quality. For instance, the first season of The Mandalorian cost about $120 million, while films like Rogue One and The Rise of Skywalker had budgets of $200 million and $275 million, respectively. With bigger budgets, the Demon Slayer movies are likely to have even better animation and production quality.
However, movies have much less time for filler, which means the story will be more focused but also puts more pressure on the animators. These films are going to be heavily combat-focused, which is one of the most time-consuming things to animate. I hope Ufotable takes their time to get it right.
Addressing the Criticism
There’s been some criticism that Ufotable is milking the Demon Slayer story. While I understand why people might think that, the numbers tell a different story. Mugen Train covered 12 chapters of the manga in a two-hour runtime. The Hashira Training arc was eight episodes long and also covered 12 chapters. The Final Battle arc, consisting of the Infinity Castle and Sunrise Countdown parts, is 66 chapters long. Each of these films will adapt almost double the material that Mugen Train did.
Given the amount of content, especially combat scenes, it’s likely that these movies will be action-packed and perhaps even longer than the previous films.
What to Expect and Final Thoughts
If you don’t feel like watching the trilogy in theaters, they will probably be available on Crunchyroll about two months after their release, similar to Mugen Train. Crunchyroll has exclusive streaming rights for new Demon Slayer content, so be prepared for a lot of traffic on the platform.
Are you excited for the three Demon Slayer movies, or do you think three is too many? Would you have preferred more seasons instead? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
A Quick Shoutout
Before I wrap up, I wanted to let you know that Anime Art Academy is having a summer sale right now. If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to draw manga or anime, now might be the perfect time. Their digital lesson bundles are designed by Japanese industry professionals, and you can submit your artwork for feedback. The sale ends on July 31, so don’t miss out!
Thank you all so much for reading! I’m Drew Malou, and I will see you in the next blog post. Stay tuned, storytellers!
