The Chainsaw Man Film Dominates the U.S. Box Office in First Weekend
Can Sony claim to have repeated their success? Coming after the success of the blockbuster Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, which earned over $600 million worldwide, the new movie Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc has reached beyond the $100 million threshold globally, hitting a international earnings of over $108 million during its debut. This movie outperformed Black Phone 2 (almost $13 million) in its second week in cinemas, as well as the music documentary Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere with the talented Jeremy Allen White ($9M).
Impressive Domestic and Worldwide Performance
Helmed by filmmaker Tatsuya Yoshihara, the movie is a immediate sequel of the initial season of Chainsaw Man. It grossed over $18 million in the U.S. after a strong $5.2M Saturday and four-point-five-million-dollar Sunday take. Overseas, the produced by MAPPA movie earned $14.7 million across 46 global regions, bringing its global earnings to $60.4M under Sony ($43.1 million abroad, $18.2M in the U.S.). Sony has yet to announce its final earnings figure.
Benchmarks to Other Successful Anime Films
Specialist agency White Box Entertainment had earlier commented, comparing the movie's expected results to the anime hit Jujutsu Kaisen 0, which earned $34 million in the U.S. and Canada in 2022 and opened to a nearly identical $18 million stateside. Reze Arc’s opening frame matches that standard, while its $108M international sum currently tracks a bit short of Jujutsu Kaisen 0’s $166.6M total earnings. Although it’s unlikely the Reze Arc movie will earn the box office of smash success Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, nonetheless, it is a huge win for Sony.
Fan Engagement Campaigns Drive Performance
Along with its affiliate the anime streaming service Crunchyroll have skillfully used audience interaction to propel their dominance at the animated movie market. The movie's marketing campaign began at the Los Angeles Anime Expo in July with a discussion featuring MAPPA, exclusive activations, and Pochita photo ops, then continued with a major presence at NYCC including never-before-seen content, audience giveaways, and further MAPPA discussions. Moreover, organizers held an private showing for enthusiasts for moviegoers and content creators as well after the last day of the event.
What’s Next
This year marks a significant period for anime, and for the studio, which has another feature-length anime premiering in 2025 in Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution in the month of November.
