(CNN) — “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – the Movie Infinity Castle” shattered the record for biggest opening weekend domestic gross for an anime movie, hauling in an estimated $70 million.

“Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle,” which is distributed in North America by Sony Pictures Entertainment-owned Crunchyroll, raked in $33 million on Friday alone, surging past Warner Bros. Pictures’ 1999 anime hit “Pokémon: The First Movie,” which grossed $31 million in its opening weekend. Warner Bros. Discovery is the parent company of CNN.

“Infinity Castle” is also the best opening for a “Demon Slayer” movie, after FUNimation Entertainment’s “Demon Slayer: Mugen Train” ($21 million) in 2021 and Sony’s “Demon Slayer: To the Hashira Training” ($11.5 million) in 2024.

“We can easily call this a surprise

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