Chainsaw Man Tops the U.S. Cinema Earnings in First Weekend
Can Sony claim to have repeated their success? In the wake of the box office performance of Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, which grossed more than $600 million worldwide, the new movie Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc has surpassed the hundred-million-dollar mark worldwide, reaching a global total of $108 million in its opening frame. The film surpassed the horror sequel Black Phone 2 ($12.9M) in its second weekend in cinemas, as well as the music documentary Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere with Jeremy Allen White ($9 million).
Notable American and Worldwide Performance
Directed by filmmaker Tatsuya Yoshihara, the movie is a direct continuation of the initial season of Chainsaw Man. It earned over $18 million in the U.S. after a powerful $5.2 million Saturday box office and four-point-five-million-dollar Sunday. Overseas, the MAPPA-produced movie earned $14.7 million across 46 international territories, bringing its global earnings to $60.4M under Sony ($43.1M international, $18.2 million domestic). The studio has not yet revealed its final earnings figure.
Comparisons to Past Successful Anime Films
Specialist agency an industry expert previously spoke, drawing parallels between the feature's anticipated earnings to the anime hit Jujutsu Kaisen 0, which grossed $34 million in the North America in 2022 and started with a similar $18M stateside. Reze Arc’s first weekend matches that benchmark, while its $108M worldwide total presently stands a bit short of that movie's $166.6M total earnings. Even if it doesn't seem possible the Reze Arc movie will achieve the box office of mega hit the record-breaking Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, it remains a major victory for the studio.
Marketing Efforts Boost Success
Sony and its subsidiary Crunchyroll have effectively leveraged audience interaction to boost their leadership at the anime box office. The movie's marketing campaign launched at the Anime Expo in LA in summer with a discussion featuring MAPPA, unique experiences, and Pochita photo ops, then continued with a major presence at the New York Comic Con featuring behind-the-scenes footage, audience giveaways, and further MAPPA discussions. Moreover, organizers held an private showing for enthusiasts for the public and influencers alike after the last day of the event.
What’s Next
2025 stands as a significant period for Japanese animation, and for Sony, which has another feature-length anime premiering in 2025 in Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution in the month of November.