Chainsaw Man Dominates the Box Office: Anime Hit Shocks Hollywood with $14M Opening

Title: Chainsaw Man Slashes Its Way to No. 1 at the Box Office with Explosive $14M Weekend Debut

Chainsaw Man Dominates Box Office with Fiery Opening

Sony and Crunchyroll’s Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc is carving up the competition at the box office this weekend, storming to a powerful $8 million Friday and heading for a $14 million-plus total. That puts the anime hit right at the top of the charts, easily slicing past expectations and securing its spot as the No. 1 movie in North America.

The film’s opening lands at the high end of Sony’s $11–$14 million projections, an impressive feat given that it dropped on the same night as the World Series opener between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays — a major distraction in the biggest anime market in the U.S.

A Social Media Monster

If there’s one thing Chainsaw Man has proven, it’s that the fandom is unstoppable. According to RelishMix, the film’s social media buzz is enormous — with a combined reach of more than 500 million across TikTok, Facebook, X, YouTube, and Instagram. That’s six times the usual engagement for anime releases.

On YouTube alone, official Chainsaw Man videos have racked up more than 351 million views — 2.5 times higher than what Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle achieved before its release. Fans online have been raving about everything from MAPPA’s stunning animation quality to the loyalty to the manga’s art style and the emotional power of Kenshi Yonezu’s soundtrack.

“Fans are calling it cinematic perfection,” says RelishMix. “The excitement around Chainsaw Man: The Movie – Reze Arc is through the roof. Viewers are saying this story arc was made for the big screen, not streaming.”

One viral comment summed up the fan sentiment perfectly: “It’s like the manga came to life. I’d watch it again in theaters tomorrow.”

A Big Win for Anime in Theaters

This strong debut confirms once again that anime films are now a dominant force at the box office. The Thursday previews alone brought in $3.4 million from 2,500 theaters — nearly matching the $3.8 million Demon Slayer: Mugen Train earned in 2021 before going on to make $21.2 million over its opening weekend.

Theaters are reporting sold-out shows and long lines for late-night screenings, showing just how powerful the Chainsaw Man fanbase has become since the manga’s explosive success and the anime’s 2022 debut.

Other Box Office Players

Behind Chainsaw Man, there’s a tight three-way race for second place. 20th Century Studios’ Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, Paramount’s Regretting You (based on Colleen Hoover’s novel), and Universal/Blumhouse’s The Black Phone 2 are all expected to earn between $10.8 million and $12 million.

For The Black Phone 2, that represents a solid hold of less than a 60% drop from its first weekend, with the sequel on track to hit $47 million by Sunday — only slightly behind the original’s pace at this point in its run.

Disney’s Tron: Ares continues its quiet third weekend, earning $1.3 million Friday and eyeing a $4 million total. Meanwhile, Neon’s horror thriller Shelby Oaks, directed by Chris Stuckmann, is pulling in around $1.1 million on Friday for a $2.5 million weekend — similar to Neon’s 2024 horror release Cuckoo, which opened to $3 million.

The Chainsaw Man Phenomenon

Chainsaw Man’s success is more than just a strong weekend — it’s a cultural moment. The anime has become one of the most talked-about franchises of the decade, blending graphic intensity, dark humor, and emotional storytelling in a way that’s captivated fans around the world.

The Reze Arc movie, based on a popular section of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s manga, brings new emotional depth and action to the big screen, continuing the story of Denji — the chainsaw-wielding antihero fans can’t get enough of.

Critics and fans alike have praised MAPPA Studios for the film’s visual fidelity and pacing, calling it one of the studio’s best works to date. With its combination of heart, horror, and cinematic spectacle, Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc looks poised to become one of Crunchyroll’s biggest theatrical releases ever.

Anime’s Box Office Boom Continues

The massive turnout for Chainsaw Man underscores the growing power of anime at the box office. Recent hits like Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen 0, and Suzume have already proven that anime audiences will show up in droves when the quality delivers — and Chainsaw Man is now the latest proof of that trend.

Even with sports, streaming competition, and horror sequels crowding the weekend, Chainsaw Man has cut through the noise. The movie’s combination of loyal fans, viral marketing, and cinematic spectacle has made it a must-see event for anime lovers — and a wake-up call for Hollywood studios about the global pull of Japanese storytelling.

What’s Next

With such strong buzz and word of mouth, Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc could enjoy a long run in theaters, especially as fans flock to experience it again in IMAX and premium formats. If its momentum continues, the film could easily climb higher than projections suggest — and potentially rival some of the top-grossing anime films in U.S. history.

For Sony and Crunchyroll, it’s another clear victory — and for fans, it’s a thrilling confirmation that anime isn’t just a niche anymore. It’s mainstream.