Chainsaw Man Leads Domestic Box Office in Debut Weekend

Can Sony claim to have achieved another hit? In the wake of the triumph of the blockbuster Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, which earned in excess of $600 million globally, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc has surpassed the $100M threshold globally, attaining a international earnings of $108 million in its opening frame. The film beat out Black Phone 2 ($12.9 million) in its second weekend in movie houses, as well as Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere featuring Jeremy Allen White (nine million dollars).

Impressive American and Global Performance

Helmed by director Tatsuya Yoshihara, the feature is a direct continuation of the initial season of Chainsaw Man. It brought in over $18 million in North America after a powerful $5.2M Saturday and $4.5 million Sunday take. Globally, the produced by MAPPA film earned nearly $15 million across 46 international territories, bringing its global earnings to $60.4M via Sony (over $43 million abroad, $18.2M in the U.S.). Sony has yet to announce its final earnings figure.

Parallels to Other Anime Hits

Anime marketing agency a leading anime marketing group had earlier commented, contrasting the feature's anticipated earnings to the popular film Jujutsu Kaisen 0, which made $34M in the domestic market in the year 2022 and opened to a comparable $18M stateside. This movie's opening frame matches that benchmark, while its $108M international sum is now positioned just behind Jujutsu Kaisen 0’s $166.6 million total earnings. Although it’s unlikely Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc will match the earnings seen by blockbuster the record-breaking Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, this is still a major victory for the studio.

Marketing Strategies Drive Performance

The studio and its partner Crunchyroll have effectively leveraged fan engagement to boost their leadership at the cinema for anime films. The movie's promotional efforts began at the Anime Expo in LA in July with a MAPPA panel, special events, and Pochita photo ops, and later included a major presence at the New York Comic Con featuring behind-the-scenes footage, fan raffles, and additional MAPPA panels. There was even an special preview for fans for moviegoers and influencers alike after the concluding day of the convention.

Future Prospects

This year marks a big year for anime, and for Sony, which has an additional anime film debuting this year in Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution in November.