Fans will soon get the chance to see Demon Slayer on the big screen once again with the upcoming theatrical release of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – To the Hashira Training movie set to hit theaters in February. As first reported by Deadline, Sony’s Crunchyroll brand has added the film for a first quarter of 2024 release in theaters.
The new film, introducing the anime adaptation of the To the Hashira Training arc will hit theaters on Feb. 23, 2024. It looks like this will be similar to the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – To the Swordsmith Village film, which was released in theaters on Feb. 3, 2023.
DEMON SLAYER HASHIRA TRAINING ARC TO RECEIVE THEATRICAL RELEASE
The Demon Slayer franchise has had quite a bit of success going back to the theatrical release of Demon Slayer: Kimetus no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train. Following its domestic release in the spring of 2021, the film made over $49 million domestically, and it eventually earned $453 million worldwide. This year’s theatrical release of To the Swordsmith Village also did very well, grossing over $10 million domestically and $56 million during its theatrical run.
The To the Hashira Training film will feature the conclusion of the Swordsmith Village Arc, featuring episode 11 from that previous season, as Tanjiro Kamado defeated the Upper Four demon, Hantengu, and it was revealed that Nezuko won’t be killed in the sunlight. The presentation will then move to Episode 1 of the Hashira Training Arc, featuring the beginning of the training conducted in preparation for a final battle with the leader and progenitor of the demons, Muzan Kibutsuji.
The upcoming theatrical release will mark the first time both episodes of the series will be shown in theaters, and they’ll also be screening in IMAX format as well.
It’s nice to see Sony and Crunchyroll are still doing these theatrical releases for the mega-popular anime series, even if they are not a traditional feature-length movie experience like Mugen Train. It will be interesting to see if studio ufotable ever does something similar again like the Mugen Train film and produce a Demon Slayer story arc into a feature-length theatrical event considering the previous film’s success.
About Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – To the Hashira Training
Release: Feb. 23, 2023 (USA)
Directed By: Haruo Sotozaki
Original Creator: Koyoharu Gotouge
Character Design: Akira Matsushima
Production: ufotable
Distribution: Crunchyroll
Japanese Voice Cast: Natsuki Hanae, Akari Kito, Hiro Shimono, Yoshitsugu Mastuoka, Kana Hanazawa, Katsuyuki Kawanishi, Kenichi Suzumura, Saori Hayami, Takahiro Sakurai, Tomokazu Seki, and Tomokazu Sugita.
English Dub Cast: Zach Aguilar, Aleks Le, Bryce Papenbrook, Crispin Freeman, Erik Scott Kimerer, Erika Harlacher, Abby Trott, Johnny Yong Bosch, Kaiji Tang, Kira Buckland, Ray Chase, and Zeno Robinson.
Synopsis: It is the Taisho Period in Japan. Tanjiro, a kindhearted boy who sells charcoal for a living, finds his family slaughtered by a demon. To make matters worse, his younger sister Nezuko, the sole survivor, has been transformed into a demon herself. Though devastated by this grim reality, Tanjiro resolves to become a “demon slayer” so that he can turn his sister back into a human, and kill the demon that massacred his family.
What do you think of the news? Are you looking forward to the next chapter of the Demon Slayer saga? Have you seen any of the other anime features in theaters? Do you have a favorite? Let us know your thoughts about the upcoming theatrical release on The Illuminerdi’s social media.
SOURCE: Deadline
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