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Did Sony done it again? Following the box office performance of the blockbuster Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, which brought in over $600 million globally, the new movie Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc has surpassed the $100M mark worldwide, hitting a global total of $108 million this weekend. This movie beat out Black Phone 2 ($12.9 million) in its sophomore frame in theaters, as well as the music documentary Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere featuring Jeremy Allen White ($9M).

Impressive U.S. and Worldwide Results

Helmed by director Tatsuya Yoshihara, the feature is a straightforward follow-up of Chainsaw Man’s first season. It earned over $18 million domestically after a strong $5.2M Saturday earnings and $4.5M Sunday. Internationally, the animated by MAPPA film added $14.7 million across 46 global regions, pushing its worldwide total to $60.4 million via Sony ($43.1M abroad, $18.2 million stateside). Sony has yet to announce its complete box office tally.

Parallels to Past Anime Hits

Anime marketing agency an industry expert had earlier commented, drawing parallels between the feature's anticipated earnings to the anime hit Jujutsu Kaisen 0, which earned thirty-four million dollars in the North America in 2022 and opened to a nearly identical $18 million domestically. The new film's debut weekend matches that benchmark, while its $108M international sum currently tracks a bit short of the earlier film's $166.6M total earnings. Even if it doesn't seem possible Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc will earn the box office of smash success the enormous hit Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, this is still a significant success for the distributor.

Marketing Campaigns Boost Performance

The studio and its partner Crunchyroll have skillfully used community involvement to boost their supremacy at the anime box office. The Reze Arc marketing campaign launched at Anime Expo Los Angeles in summer with a discussion featuring MAPPA, special events, and Pochita-themed pictures, followed by a significant involvement at New York Comic Con including behind-the-scenes footage, audience giveaways, and more MAPPA sessions. Moreover, organizers held an exclusive fan screening for the public and popular figures too after the concluding day of the gathering.

Future Prospects

This year marks a big year for animated films, and for the company, which has another animated movie debuting in the coming months in Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution in November.