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Has Sony done it again? In the wake of the triumph of the hit anime Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, which brought in in excess of $600 million at the box office, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc has reached beyond the hundred-million-dollar threshold globally, reaching a worldwide gross of $108 million in its opening frame. This movie outperformed the thriller Black Phone 2 ($12.9M) in its sophomore frame in theaters, as well as the film Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere featuring Jeremy Allen White ($9 million).

Notable Domestic and Global Results

Directed by director Tatsuya Yoshihara, the film is a straightforward follow-up of the debut season of the Chainsaw Man series. It earned $18.2M in the U.S. after a powerful $5.2M Saturday box office and four-point-five-million-dollar Sunday. Overseas, the MAPPA-produced movie grossed nearly $15 million across 46 global regions, resulting in a global sum of over $60 million through Sony distribution ($43.1M international, $18.2M stateside). The studio has not yet revealed its official box office total.

Parallels to Other Successful Anime Films

Anime marketing agency White Box Entertainment previously spoke, contrasting the feature's anticipated earnings to the popular film Jujutsu Kaisen 0, which made $34 million in the U.S. and Canada in 2022 and started with a nearly identical $18M in the U.S.. The new film's debut weekend is in line with that standard, while its $108 million international sum is now positioned just behind Jujutsu Kaisen 0’s $166.6 million overall box office. Although it’s unlikely this Chainsaw Man film will match the numbers of smash success the enormous hit Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, this is still a major victory for the distributor.

Marketing Strategies Boost Performance

The studio and its partner Crunchyroll have skillfully used audience interaction to drive their dominance at the anime box office. This film's promotional efforts kicked off at Anime Expo Los Angeles in summer with a MAPPA presentation, unique experiences, and Pochita photo ops, followed by a notable appearance at New York Comic Con featuring never-before-seen content, fan raffles, and further MAPPA discussions. Additionally, there was an private showing for enthusiasts for the public and popular figures too after the final day of the event.

Future Prospects

2025 stands as a significant period for animated films, and for Sony, which has an additional feature-length anime releasing in the coming months in the film Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution in late this year.