The Reze Arc Movie Tops Domestic Box Office in Debut Weekend
Has Sony repeated their success? Coming after the triumph of the blockbuster Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, which earned in excess of $600 million worldwide, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc has officially crossed the $100M milestone internationally, hitting a international earnings of $108M this weekend. This movie outperformed the horror sequel Black Phone 2 ($12.9M) in its sophomore frame in theaters, as well as Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere with actor Jeremy Allen White ($9 million).
Strong Domestic and Global Results
Helmed by Tatsuya Yoshihara, the feature is a straightforward follow-up of the initial season of Chainsaw Man. It earned over $18 million in North America after a robust five-point-two-million-dollar Saturday box office and $4.5M Sunday. Internationally, the MAPPA-produced movie earned $14.7M across 46 Sony markets, pushing its worldwide total to $60.4M via Sony (over $43 million international, $18.2M stateside). The studio has not yet revealed its complete box office tally.
Parallels to Past Anime Hits
Anime marketing agency a leading anime marketing group previously spoke, comparing the feature's anticipated earnings to Jujutsu Kaisen 0, which made $34 million in the North America in 2022 and started with a comparable $18M domestically. The new film's opening frame matches that standard, while its hundred-and-eight-million-dollar worldwide total presently stands slightly below Jujutsu Kaisen 0’s $166.6 million final run. Although it’s unlikely Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc will achieve the earnings seen by mega hit Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, nonetheless, it is a huge win for Sony.
Marketing Efforts Drive Success
The studio and its partner Crunchyroll have successfully utilized community involvement to drive their leadership at the cinema for anime films. The Reze Arc marketing campaign began at the Los Angeles Anime Expo in July with a MAPPA panel, special events, and Pochita photo ops, and later included a notable appearance at New York Comic Con including behind-the-scenes footage, audience giveaways, and more MAPPA sessions. There was even an private showing for enthusiasts for the public and content creators as well after the final day of the convention.
What’s Next
2025 is a big year for anime, and for Sony, which has one more feature-length anime debuting this year in Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution in late this year.
