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Can Sony claim to have achieved another hit? 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 surpassed the hundred-million-dollar milestone globally, hitting a worldwide gross of $108M during its debut. This feature surpassed the horror sequel Black Phone 2 ($12.9 million) in its second week in cinemas, as well as the film Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere starring Jeremy Allen White (nine million dollars).

Strong U.S. and Worldwide Earnings

Helmed by director Tatsuya Yoshihara, the feature is a direct continuation of Chainsaw Man’s first season. It brought in over $18 million domestically after a robust $5.2 million Saturday and $4.5 million Sunday. Globally, the MAPPA-produced movie grossed nearly $15 million across 46 international territories, pushing its worldwide total to $60.4M through Sony distribution (over $43 million abroad, $18.2 million in the U.S.). Sony has yet to announce its final earnings figure.

Parallels to Other Blockbuster Anime Movies

Promotional firm an industry expert previously spoke, comparing the movie's expected results to the popular film Jujutsu Kaisen 0, which earned thirty-four million dollars in the domestic market in the year 2022 and started with a nearly identical $18M domestically. This movie's opening frame is in line with that marker, while its $108 million worldwide total is now positioned just behind Jujutsu Kaisen 0’s $166.6 million total earnings. Even if it doesn't seem possible the Reze Arc movie will achieve the box office of mega hit Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, this is still a significant success for the distributor.

Marketing Campaigns Drive Box Office Dominance

Sony and its subsidiary the anime streaming service Crunchyroll have effectively leveraged fan engagement to boost their supremacy at the cinema for anime films. This film's marketing campaign launched at the Anime Expo in LA in the month of July with a discussion featuring MAPPA, exclusive activations, and Pochita-themed pictures, and later included a significant involvement at the New York Comic Con featuring never-before-seen content, lotteries for fans, and further MAPPA discussions. Moreover, organizers held an special preview for fans for moviegoers and content creators as well after the final day of the convention.

Looking Ahead

2025 is a major time for animated films, and for the studio, which has an additional animated movie releasing in the coming months in the film Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution in the month of November.