The Reze Arc Movie Leads Domestic Box Office in First Weekend
Has Sony achieved another hit? In the wake of the box office performance of the hit anime Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, which grossed over $600 million worldwide, the new movie Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc has reached beyond the hundred-million-dollar mark internationally, reaching a global total of over $108 million in its opening frame. The film outperformed the thriller Black Phone 2 ($12.9M) in its second weekend in theaters, as well as Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere featuring the talented Jeremy Allen White (nine million dollars).
Impressive U.S. and Global Results
Directed by Tatsuya Yoshihara, the feature is a direct continuation of Chainsaw Man’s first season. It grossed $18.2 million in the U.S. after a powerful $5.2M Saturday and $4.5M Sunday performance. Globally, the animated by MAPPA film earned $14.7M across 46 global regions, bringing its global earnings to $60.4 million through Sony distribution ($43.1 million overseas, $18.2 million stateside). The studio has not yet revealed its final earnings figure.
Parallels to Past Anime Hits
Anime marketing agency a leading anime marketing group had earlier commented, comparing the feature's anticipated earnings to the anime hit Jujutsu Kaisen 0, which made $34 million in the U.S. and Canada in 2022 and opened to a comparable $18M stateside. This movie's opening frame is in line with that marker, while its $108 million worldwide total is now positioned just behind Jujutsu Kaisen 0’s over $166 million total earnings. While it is improbable this Chainsaw Man film will earn the earnings seen by smash success the enormous hit Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, this is still a huge win for the distributor.
Marketing Campaigns Fuel Performance
Along with its affiliate the anime streaming service Crunchyroll have skillfully used audience interaction to propel their leadership at the cinema for anime films. The movie's promotional efforts launched at the Los Angeles Anime Expo in summer with a MAPPA presentation, unique experiences, and photo opportunities with Pochita, and later included a significant involvement at the New York Comic Con showcasing behind-the-scenes footage, audience giveaways, and additional MAPPA panels. Additionally, there was an private showing for enthusiasts for general audiences and popular figures too after the last day of the convention.
Future Prospects
2025 is a major time for animated films, and for the studio, which has one more animated movie premiering this year in Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution in late this year.
