Demon Slayer Breaks New Ground as Japan’s First Anime Film with IMAX Special Edition, Featuring Expanded Vertical Visuals and New Trailer

Demon Slayer IMAX Special Edition has been officially announced as a historic first for Japanese anime films. New details were revealed for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle Arc Chapter One: Akaza Returns, which is set for theatrical release on July 18, 2026.

Japan’s First Anime Film to Receive an IMAX Special Edition

Beginning February 6, an IMAX Special Edition screening will be held, marking the first time in Japanese anime film history that a dedicated IMAX version has been produced. Alongside this announcement, a new trailer has also been released.

This special IMAX edition will be presented using IMAX’s exclusive expanded aspect ratio of 1.43:1, allowing the image area in select scenes to extend vertically beyond the standard frame. The screenings will take place at Grand Cinema Sunshine Ikebukuro in Tokyo and 109 Cinemas Osaka Expo City in Osaka.

In addition, an exclusive IMAX limited admission bonus has been confirmed. Attendees will receive an A5 size IMAX Visual Illustration Board, available only for IMAX screenings. The bonus will be limited to a total of 100,000 units nationwide.

IMAX Teaser Trailer

About Demon Slayer

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle Arc Chapter One: Akaza Returns has already achieved extraordinary box office success. In its first three days of release, the film surpassed 5.52 billion yen in revenue, setting new records for opening weekend performance, opening day earnings, and single day box office totals in Japanese cinema history. It currently ranks second in all time domestic box office revenue in Japan and maintained a higher daily earning pace than Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie: Mugen Train from its opening day through day 143 of release.
The Demon Slayer franchise is based on the hit manga serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from February 2016 to May 2020. Set in a Taisho era world plagued by man eating demons, the story follows Tanjiro Kamado, a young boy whose family is slaughtered by demons. After his sister Nezuko is turned into a demon, Tanjiro joins the Demon Slayer Corps in order to restore her humanity and defeat the demon responsible for his family’s deaths. The manga has surpassed 220 million copies in circulation worldwide.

The television anime series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Tanjiro Kamado Unwavering Resolve Arc aired from April to September 2019 and became a major phenomenon. This was followed by Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie: Mugen Train, released in October 2020, which grossed approximately 51.7 billion yen worldwide and sparked a global cultural movement.

Since then, the franchise has expanded into games and stage adaptations. Subsequent anime arcs include the Entertainment District Arc in December 2021, the Swordsmith Village Arc in April 2023, and the Hashira Training Arc from May to June 2024. The Infinity Castle Arc is being produced as a trilogy, with Chapter One: Akaza Returns depicting the final decisive battle between Tanjiro and the Demon Slayer Corps against their ultimate enemy Muzan Kibutsuji and the Upper Rank demons within the Infinity Castle.

Source : ORICON NEWS