Chainsaw Man Leads Domestic Cinema Earnings in First Weekend

Can Sony claim to have achieved another hit? Following the box office performance of the blockbuster Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, which grossed more than $600 million worldwide, the new movie Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc has officially crossed the hundred-million-dollar mark worldwide, attaining a international earnings of over $108 million this weekend. This movie surpassed the thriller Black Phone 2 ($12.9 million) in its sophomore frame in cinemas, as well as the music documentary Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere starring the talented Jeremy Allen White (nine million dollars).

Strong U.S. and Worldwide Performance

The work of filmmaker Tatsuya Yoshihara, the feature is a straightforward follow-up of the debut season of the Chainsaw Man series. It brought in $18.2 million in North America after a robust $5.2M Saturday box office and $4.5 million Sunday. Internationally, the MAPPA-produced movie earned $14.7M across 46 global regions, bringing its global earnings to over $60 million under Sony ($43.1M international, $18.2M stateside). The studio has not yet revealed its complete box office tally.

Comparisons to Previous Anime Hits

Promotional firm a leading anime marketing group previously spoke, contrasting the film’s projected performance to Jujutsu Kaisen 0, which made $34M in the North America in 2022 and started with a nearly identical $18 million stateside. The new film's first weekend aligns with that benchmark, while its hundred-and-eight-million-dollar worldwide total presently stands slightly below Jujutsu Kaisen 0’s $166.6M final run. Even if it doesn't seem possible Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc will achieve the numbers of smash success the record-breaking Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, this is still a huge win for the studio.

Marketing Strategies Boost Success

Sony and its subsidiary the anime streaming service Crunchyroll have skillfully used community involvement to drive their dominance at the anime box office. This film's advertising push launched at the Los Angeles Anime Expo in July with a MAPPA panel, unique experiences, and Pochita photo ops, and later included a significant involvement at New York Comic Con featuring never-before-seen content, audience giveaways, and additional MAPPA panels. Moreover, organizers held an special preview for fans for the public and content creators as well after the final day of the convention.

Looking Ahead

2025 is a major time for anime, and for Sony, which has one more animated movie releasing in 2025 in Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution in late this year.