This article is part of a weekly column tracking the biggest global box office stories, from Hollywood tentpoles to regional surprises, breaking down numbers, trends, and what they mean for the film industry. Each week, we highlight record-setters, unexpected hits, and the films that are struggling to find their footing.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle – Still King, Even With a Steep Slide
Even with a savage 75 % drop in its second weekend, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle held its throne, raking in $17.3 million in weekend receipts. That brings its domestic total to approximately $104.7 million, which officially bests Pokémon: The First Movie (which made $85.7 million) to become the highest-grossing anime film in US box office history (non-inflation). The caveat: when accounting for inflation, Pokémon still leads. But in pure dollars, Demon Slayer now wears the crown.
The level of decline is brutal , but not unheard of in the anime space. These films tend to lean heavily on fan-opening weekend spikes, and then fade. Still, this drop is steeper than Mugen Train’s 69.5 % second-weekend slide. As it loses premium IMAX and PLF placements this week, expect sharper falls ahead.
Overseas / International: Globally, the picture is dazzling. Demon Slayer turned in $36 million from abroad this weekend, adding to a stunning $555 million worldwide total that reportedly pushes it past Mugen Train as the highest-grossing anime of all time. Key overseas contributions include Japan ($269M), South Korea ($37.3M), Taiwan ($25M), Mexico ($15.1M), Hong Kong ($12.4M), India ($8.1M), UK ($7.5M), and Indonesia ($7.3M). With these flows, it’s on track to cross $600 million next week. In India, specifically, Demon Slayer pulled in around $8.1 million impressive for an anime in a market which had rejected animation in the theatrical space.
Jolly LLB 3 – Akshay–Arshad Courtroom Drama Scores Big
India: This weekend’s biggest local surprise was Jolly LLB 3, which crossed the ₹50 crore mark in its opening weekend. Day one brought in ₹12.5 crore. On Saturday it soared to ₹20 crore (a 60 % jump), and on Sunday it added ₹21 crore, for a total of ₹53.50 crore. Word of mouth is strong, and the film is trending toward a first-week finish around ₹80 crore.
Analysts are projecting a lifetime of ₹125 crore, which would smash the previous franchise high (Jolly LLB 2 did ₹108 crore). The film benefits from Akshay Kumar’s star pull, Arshad Warsi’s return, audience fondness for courtroom stories, and a script that seems to be resonating across demographics. It’s a blockbuster debut for a franchise you’d maybe expect to do well but not with this kind of week one dominance.
Dashavatar & Lokah: Regional Stars Rising
Dashavatar (Marathi thriller) continued to ride a solid wave in its second week. By day 12 it had earned ~ ₹17.5 crore net. It delivered ₹1 crore on day 8, ₹2.65 crore on day 9, ₹3 crore on day 10. Weekdays dipped, with ₹80 lakh and ₹85 lakh on Monday/Tuesday. Occupancy is solid, especially in evening shows, suggesting this is more than a flash.
Lokah: Chapter One – Chandra (Malayalam) is making waves. It recently overtook L2: Empuraan as the highest-grossing Malayalam film ever. It’s also poised to become the first Malayalam movie to cross ₹300 crore. It’s a female-led national success story, breaking barriers for the industry and transforming its own identity in pan-India cinema
Him – A Bold Idea That Stumbled
United States: Arriving in 3,168 theatres, Him opened with $13.2 million in its first weekend. That’s underwhelming by sports film standards, especially considering its $27 million production budget. What’s alarming: the opening was heavily front-loaded. Friday alone contributed $6.4 million — nearly half the weekend haul. Then things cooled off sharply on Saturday and Sunday, showing poor legs right out of the gate.
Marketing leaned hard on Jordan Peele’s name, even though he’s not the director. That gambit drew eyes early, but it wasn’t enough to sustain momentum. Critically, the reception was dull at around 29 % on Rotten Tomatoes with the audiences weren’t forgiving either, handing it a disappointing C– on CinemaScore. Demographics skewed male (51 %) and older (64 % over age 25). All indicators point to a tumble fast. Many projections now suggest the domestic lifetime might stay below $30 million, which would be disastrous for a film with a niche genre.
Overseas / International: The jump outside the US was negligible. In its 25 international markets, Him earned a mere $258,000, bringing its global debut to about $13.5 million. That’s hardly a vote of confidence from non-US audiences, especially since American football doesn’t carry weight abroad. The few markets where the NFL has any traction (UK, Mexico, Brazil) are pegged to open later, but there’s little hope they’ll reverse the overall trend. So while Him may limp to moderate returns domestically, its international performance simply cannot rescue it.
A Big Bold Beautiful Journey – Ouch.
United States: This one is a textbook flop in wide release. Debuting in over 3,300 theatres, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey managed only $3.2 million in its first weekend, one of the worst openings ever for a film playing in that many theatres. That’s an abysmal $977 per theatre average, which, when you do the math, suggests nearly empty auditoriums. Sony reportedly purchased it for $50 million (with a $45 million production budget), and opening to less than 10 % of that is catastrophic.
The concept, a romance/fantasy mix about doors taking characters back in time, didn’t resonate despite the presence of Margot Robbie. Adding in poor reviews (around 37 % on RT), weak buzz, and cast recognition that doesn’t guarantee box office draw, the film had little chance. CinemaScore came in at B–, which is not encouraging for a romance. The prognosis: likely unable to clear $10 million domestically, and possibly removed from theatres quickly.
Overseas / International: Abroad, the story is worse. The film tallied just $4.5 million in 42 markets, leading to a dismal $7.7 million global total. That’s not a rounding error, that’s a flashing red sign. It suggests the concept had zero international appeal and confirms this project will be seen as a major studio misfire.
The Conjuring: Last Rites — Horror Franchise Still Strong
United States: Despite stiff competition, The Conjuring sequel put up $12.2 million this weekend. That’s a 52 % drop — heavy, but consistent with horror trends. The film’s domestic total now sits around $150.5 million, making it officially the highest grossing entry in The Conjuring franchise so far. There’s room to run, though with continued declines it might stall before $180 million.
Overseas / International: Internationally, Last Rites added $28.3 million, pushing its worldwide total to around $399.3 million. The biggest foreign markets include Mexico (~$26.4M), UK (~$20.3M), Brazil (~$15.3M), France (~$14.6M), and Germany (~$12.7M). While it won’t smash $500 million, expectation is a strong finish in the $450 million ballpark.
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale – A Legacy That’s Fading
United States: The last chapter in the Downton tale saw a brutal 65 % weekend drop, adding just $6.4 million. It has made $31.7 million in its first 10 days but is now almost guaranteed to miss the $50 million mark domestically. The grandeur may charm critics, but audiences seem to be saying “been there, seen that.”
Overseas / International: Overseas, it brought in $8.3 million, for a cumulative worldwide take of $59.4 million. Leading markets abroad: UK (~$13.9M), France, Australia, Netherlands, Finland. Some markets still haven’t opened, but there’s little chance of a dramatic bounce.
The Long Walk : Resilient
United States: Not a blockbuster, but The Long Walk showed respectable hold in Week 2. It dropped 47 % to take in $6.2 million. After 10 days it’s made $22.6 million, and if it holds decently it could finish near $35 million. For a modestly scaled film in the current climate of Indie films barely getting any space, that’s a quiet win.
Overseas / International: International numbers aren’t headlined for this one, suggesting its appeal is mostly domestic. That said, it’s doing enough in the US run to be considered a solid mid-tier performer.
