Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc, the latest offering from Sony/Crunchyroll, has made a significant impact at the box office, bringing in an impressive $8 million on its opening day. The film is projected to surpass $14 million over the weekend, positioning it firmly at the top of the box office charts. Notably, this success comes on the heels of the first night of the World Series, where the Los Angeles Dodgers compete against the Toronto Blue Jays. Los Angeles is recognized as the leading market for anime movies, which could further boost the film’s performance.
According to social media analytics firm RelishMix, the online buzz surrounding Chainsaw Man is extraordinary, with a social media reach of approximately half a billion. This figure is six times higher than the average for the anime genre across major platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, X, YouTube, and Instagram. The film has amassed an astounding 351 million video views on YouTube alone, indicating strong audience engagement and anticipation.
Comparatively, Chainsaw Man has a social media reach that is 2.5 times greater than that of Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle before its release, which had a reach of 200 million. Insights from RelishMix suggest that the chatter around Chainsaw Man: The Movie: Reze Arc is overwhelmingly positive, with fans expressing excitement over the animation studio MAPPA’s exceptional cinematic quality, the film's adherence to the original manga's artistic style, and the captivating soundtrack by Kenshi Yonezu.
Viewers have emphasized the film's theatrical worthiness, arguing that this arc deserved a cinematic release. Audience feedback includes enthusiastic remarks like, “compared to the recent Infinity Castle, Reze arc was kick ass—would watch in theaters again” and “I absolutely love how loyal they stayed to the art style, it feels like the manga came to life.” The film's accompanying music video is also generating significant traction, nearing 68 million views on YouTube.
In the box office race, Chainsaw Man is followed closely by a trio of films: 20th Century Studios’ Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, Paramount’s adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel Regretting You, and the second weekend of Universal/Blumhouse’s Black Phone 2. Each of these films is projected to earn between $10.8 million and $12 million this weekend. Black Phone 2 is expected to maintain a strong hold, aiming for a total of at least $47 million by Sunday, which is only $400K less than its predecessor at the same juncture in its ten-day run.
Additionally, Disney’s Tron: Ares is in its third weekend, forecasted to earn over $4 million from 2,940 theaters. Meanwhile, Neon’s psychological thriller Shelby Oaks, directed by Chris Stuckmann, is set to bring in around $2.5 million from 1,823 locations.
On the morning of Friday's box office, Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc kicked off with $3.4 million during Thursday previews, which began at 4 p.m. across 2,500 locations. This preview performance is notably close to the $3.8 million achieved by Demon Slayer: Mugen Train back in April 2021, which ultimately grossed $21.2 million over its opening weekend as theaters were reopening. In comparison, Chainsaw Man is projected to exceed $11 million this weekend, making its box office outcome difficult to predict, especially with competition from Black Phone 2.
Critically, Chainsaw Man is performing well, boasting a 100% fresh rating from 18 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and an impressive 99% audience score. In contrast, 20th Century Studios’ Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, which carries a budget of $55 million, garnered a less favorable 61% fresh rating, despite an 85% positive response from fans. The film, featuring Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen, is anticipated to earn between $9 million and $11 million this weekend.
Meanwhile, Paramount has withheld gross figures for Regretting You due to its limited release, although initial reports suggest it performed better than Springsteen during its opening night. This film is projected to earn between $9 million and $11 million as well. Critics have expressed mixed feelings about the film, giving it a 34% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences seem to resonate more positively, much like they did with It Ends With Us, which received a 54% rating.
Overall, the box office landscape is shaping up to be an exciting one, with Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc leading the charge and setting the stage for a competitive weekend ahead.
