Crunchyroll has confirmed that it will
promote the candidacy of Kimetsu no Yaiba: Infinite Castle at
the 2026 Oscars. The platform announced an official campaign for
the film to be considered in the Best Animated Feature category,
a historically elusive recognition for Japanese productions.
Rahul
Purini, CEO of Crunchyroll, stated that the cultural and technical impact of
the film deserves to be recognized by the Academy. "We think the film
is amazing. Fans absolutely deserve that the film be considered for the Oscars,"
he said in an interview with specialized media.
The work
that marked a before and after
Directed
by Haruo Sotozaki and animated by ufotable, the
film has been praised for its visual quality, narrative intensity, and
fidelity to Koyoharu Gotouge's original manga. Its premiere
marked the beginning of the final arc of Kimetsu no Yaiba,
cementing the franchise as a global phenomenon.
Box
office success
In just two
weekends, Kimetsu no Yaiba: Infinite Castle surpassed $104
million at the U.S. box office and has already accumulated more
than $555 million globally, becoming the highest-grossing Japanese
film in history. The figure is expected to increase with its premiere in China
on October 8, 2025.
A shonen
on its way to the Oscar
The film
joins the short list of Japanese productions that have triumphed at the Oscars,
such as Spirited Away (2003) and The Boy and the Heron (2024).
However, it would be the first time that an action shonen could
compete in this category, which represents a historic opportunity for anime.
