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Can Sony claim to have done it again? Following the triumph of the hit anime Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, which earned more than $600 million at the box office, the new movie Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc has reached beyond the hundred-million-dollar threshold internationally, attaining a global total of $108 million during its debut. This feature surpassed Black Phone 2 (almost $13 million) in its second week in theaters, as well as the music documentary Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere featuring Jeremy Allen White ($9 million).

Strong Domestic and International Performance

Directed by filmmaker Tatsuya Yoshihara, the feature is a straightforward follow-up of the initial season of Chainsaw Man. It brought in $18.2M in North America after a powerful $5.2M Saturday box office and $4.5M Sunday take. Globally, the produced by MAPPA film earned $14.7M across 46 Sony markets, pushing its worldwide total to $60.4 million via Sony (over $43 million international, $18.2 million domestic). Sony has yet to announce its complete box office tally.

Benchmarks to Past Successful Anime Films

Promotional firm White Box Entertainment previously spoke, drawing parallels between the feature's anticipated earnings to Jujutsu Kaisen 0, which made $34M in the North America in the year 2022 and debuted with a similar eighteen million dollars stateside. Reze Arc’s debut weekend is in line with that benchmark, while its $108 million international sum is now positioned a bit short of Jujutsu Kaisen 0’s $166.6M overall box office. Even if it doesn't seem possible this Chainsaw Man film will achieve the earnings seen by mega hit Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, this is still a major victory for the distributor.

Marketing Efforts Boost Success

The studio and its partner Crunchyroll have successfully utilized fan engagement to propel their dominance at the animated movie market. This film's promotional efforts began at the Anime Expo in LA in summer with a MAPPA presentation, special events, and Pochita-themed pictures, then continued with a significant involvement at the New York Comic Con including exclusive clips, lotteries for fans, and further MAPPA discussions. Additionally, there was an private showing for enthusiasts for moviegoers and influencers alike after the last day of the gathering.

What’s Next

2025 is a significant period for anime, and for Sony, which has an additional anime film releasing in the coming months in the upcoming Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution in the month of November.