Anime fans helped power a box office victory this weekend as Chainsaw Man The Movie: Reze Arc sliced its way to No. 1. The latest release from Crunchyroll earned an estimated $17.2 million from 3,003 North American theaters. It marks the second straight success for the distributor following September’s sleeper hit Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle, which opened to a genre-record $70 million. The film, which continues the story from the hit manga TV series, played in both subtitled and dubbed formats, as well as premium large formats like IMAX. Opening-night audiences awarded the film an “A” on CinemaScore, with 75% of ticket buyers identifying as male and half under the age of 25 — a demographic that has helped fuel the anime box office boom, largely due to the excitement surrounding ‘Chainsaw Man’ and its rise to popularity.
No. 1: Chainsaw Man The Movie: Reze Arc Slices To The Top
“Chainsaw Man” had already made noise overseas with a $70 million international haul before its domestic debut. The popularity of ‘Chainsaw Man’ underlines its impressive turnout, continuing a strong year for anime at the box office, following the success of other genre titles and underscoring its growing global appeal due to compelling storytelling and unique characters.
No. 2: Blumhouse’s Black Phone 2 Falls Behind Chainsaw Man At The Weekend Box Office
After taking the top spot last weekend, Black Phone 2 slipped to No. 2 with $13 million from 3,460 theaters — a 52% drop. The horror sequel has now grossed $48 million domestically and $80.4 million worldwide, but the presence of popular releases like ‘Chainsaw Man’ has created tough competition. It remains a solid win for Blumhouse Productions in an otherwise challenging year for low-budget horror at the box office.
No. 3: Regretting You Beats Expectations Amid Chainsaw Man Box Office Surg
Paramount’s romantic drama Regretting You opened to a stronger-than-expected $12.8 million from 3,393 theaters. Adapted from Regretting You by Colleen Hoover, the film also earned $10 million overseas for a $22.85 million global start. CinemaScore audiences gave it a “B” grade. Hoover’s earlier book adaptation, It Ends With Us, became a breakout success, and this latest opening suggests moviegoers may be ready for more Hoover on the big screen, although ‘Chainsaw Man’ currently dominates the conversation.
No. 4: Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere Opens Below Forecast
Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere debuted in fourth place with $9.1 million from 3,460 locations. Internationally, the biopic launched with $7 million, bringing its global total to $16.1 million. The $55 million production will need strong legs in coming weeks to justify its budget. Audiences responded more warmly than critics, giving it a “B+” CinemaScore. However, given the current attention on ‘Chainsaw Man’ successes, it faces a challenging box office journey.
No. 5: Tron: Ares Holds In Fifth
Rounding out the top five, Tron: Ares earned $4.7 million from 2,940 theaters in its third weekend. The sci-fi tentpole has now grossed $63 million domestically and $123 million worldwide — a steep climb remains to match its reported $180 million production budget. Despite the stiff competition from films like ‘Chainsaw Man,’ its performance demonstrates resilience in a competitive market.
The Bigger Picture
Overall, the weekend box office was down 20% compared to the same frame in 2024, when Venom: The Last Dance opened to $51 million. While year-to-date numbers remain slightly ahead of 2024, ticket sales still trail pre-pandemic levels by around 20%. Major holiday releases like Wicked: For Good, Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash are expected to give the box office a much-needed boost in the coming months, although the impact of strong performers like ‘Chainsaw Man’ should not be underestimated.
