Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Producer Discusses Trilogy, Budget, and Studio Growth
Kondo's public discussion of budget expectations for the sequels, even without confirming a figure, signals that ufotable and Aniplex are aware of the commercial leverage the franchise now holds in negotiations with distributors.
Reporting from 1 sources: The Hollywood Reporter Anime.
Hikaru Kondo, founder and producer of ufotable, spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about the production of Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, the first film in a planned trilogy adapting the final arc of Koyoharu Gotouge's manga. The film has grossed $722 million worldwide, including $134.5 million in North America, making it the highest-grossing Japanese film of all time. Kondo described his role as sending creative prompts to the studio's roughly 300 in-house staff, with storyboards serving as a launch pad for animators to experiment with action sequences and camera motion. When asked about a reported $20 million budget, Kondo declined to confirm the figure but noted that a Hollywood sequel with similar box office performance would justify a budget of $100 million to $150 million. Aniplex producer Yuma Takahashi, who joined the conversation, said he would "sincerely try my best" regarding budget for future installments. Kondo also addressed ufotable's history of receiving offers from Hollywood studios, stating the company evaluates each project individually without changing its fundamental production approach. He emphasized that the studio's strength comes from long-term staff retention and a trial-and-error process blending 2D and 3D animation.
Hikaru Kondo founded ufotable in 2000 at age 30, naming the studio after a UFO-shaped table in its original office. The studio built its reputation on technically ambitious adaptations such as The Garden of Sinners and the Fate franchise before taking on Demon Slayer. Kondo told The Hollywood Reporter that the Infinity Castle trilogy's visual approach started with a simple idea: put the castle on the big screen and express something infinite. He personally oversees storyboards and screenplays, then assigns sequences to animators based on their strengths in action, character scenes, or CG water effects. The film recently received a Golden Globe nomination and is generating Oscar buzz, distributed globally by Sony, Aniplex, and Crunchyroll. Kondo declined to comment on the reported $20 million budget but did not deny it when asked directly. He noted that ufotable has changed its business model with each production and will continue to examine every project carefully. The studio now employs about 300 people, many of whom have worked there for years, and Kondo cited staff retention as one of the studio's greatest achievements.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- The Hollywood Reporter Anime Meet the Mastermind Behind Anime Juggernaut ‘Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle’