The Chainsaw Man Film Leads the U.S. Cinema Earnings in Opening Weekend

Has Sony done it again? In the wake of the success of the blockbuster Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, which brought in more than $600 million globally, the latest Chainsaw Man film has surpassed the hundred-million-dollar milestone internationally, hitting a worldwide gross of over $108 million in its opening frame. The film beat out the thriller Black Phone 2 ($12.9M) in its second weekend in cinemas, as well as the music documentary Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere with the talented Jeremy Allen White ($9M).

Notable U.S. and Global Performance

Helmed by director Tatsuya Yoshihara, the film is a straightforward follow-up of the debut season of the Chainsaw Man series. It grossed $18.2 million domestically after a robust $5.2M Saturday box office and $4.5M Sunday performance. Overseas, the animated by MAPPA feature added nearly $15 million across 46 international territories, resulting in a global sum of over $60 million via Sony ($43.1M international, $18.2M domestic). Sony has yet to announce its complete box office tally.

Comparisons to Previous Blockbuster Anime Movies

Specialist agency a leading anime marketing group previously spoke, comparing the movie's expected results to Jujutsu Kaisen 0, which grossed thirty-four million dollars in the North America in the year 2022 and debuted with a nearly identical $18M in the U.S.. This movie's first weekend is in line with that marker, while its hundred-and-eight-million-dollar international sum presently stands a bit short of the earlier film's $166.6 million total earnings. While it is improbable Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc will match the box office of mega hit Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, this is still a significant success for the studio.

Marketing Campaigns Boost Success

The studio and its partner the anime streaming service Crunchyroll have successfully utilized audience interaction to drive their supremacy at the anime box office. The Reze Arc promotional efforts kicked off at the Los Angeles Anime Expo in the month of July with a discussion featuring MAPPA, exclusive activations, and photo opportunities with Pochita, then continued with a notable appearance at NYCC including exclusive clips, fan raffles, and additional MAPPA panels. Moreover, organizers held an special preview for fans for moviegoers and popular figures too after the last day of the event.

Future Prospects

This year marks a major time for anime, and for the studio, which has another anime film debuting in the coming months in Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution in the month of November.