The Reze Arc Movie Dominates American Box Office in Opening Weekend
Has Sony repeated their success? In the wake of the success of Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, which earned over $600 million globally, the latest Chainsaw Man film has reached beyond the hundred-million-dollar mark internationally, reaching a international earnings of over $108 million this weekend. This feature beat out Black Phone 2 ($12.9 million) in its second week in theaters, as well as Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere starring Jeremy Allen White (nine million dollars).
Strong American and Global Results
Helmed by director Tatsuya Yoshihara, the movie is a straightforward follow-up of Chainsaw Man’s first season. It brought in over $18 million in North America after a robust five-point-two-million-dollar Saturday box office and $4.5M Sunday. Overseas, the MAPPA-produced movie added nearly $15 million across 46 international territories, bringing its global earnings to over $60 million through Sony distribution (over $43 million overseas, $18.2 million stateside). The studio has not yet revealed its final earnings figure.
Benchmarks to Other Blockbuster Anime Movies
Specialist agency White Box Entertainment noted in prior discussions, drawing parallels between the film’s projected performance to Jujutsu Kaisen 0, which earned thirty-four million dollars in the U.S. and Canada in 2022 and started with a nearly identical $18M stateside. The new film's first weekend matches that benchmark, while its hundred-and-eight-million-dollar global gross presently stands just behind that movie's $166.6 million final run. Although it’s unlikely this Chainsaw Man film will match the numbers of smash success the record-breaking Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, it remains a huge win for the studio.
Marketing Efforts Boost Box Office Dominance
The studio and its partner the anime streaming service Crunchyroll have successfully utilized audience interaction to propel their leadership at the cinema for anime films. The Reze Arc marketing campaign launched at the Anime Expo in LA in summer with a discussion featuring MAPPA, unique experiences, and photo opportunities with Pochita, then continued with a significant involvement at NYCC showcasing behind-the-scenes footage, fan raffles, and more MAPPA sessions. Moreover, organizers held an special preview for fans for general audiences and content creators as well after the last day of the convention.
Looking Ahead
2025 is a significant period for anime, and for Sony, which has one more anime film releasing in the coming months in Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution in the month of November.
