It looks like Sony/Crunchyroll Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc is going to clean out the competition in theaters this weekend. Experts are predicting a $17 million-plus opening weekend for the anime title based on the Thursday night preview screenings total of $3.4 million and Friday’s $8 million projections from 2,500 locations in U.S. theaters.
As Deadline points out, the preview number is close to the $3.8 million posted by Funimation/Aniplex’s Demon Slayer: Mugen Train in April of 2021, which went on to claim $21.2 million in theater. The animated title faces off this weekend with Universal/Bloomhouse’s live-action horror hit Phone Booth 2, which is expected to have another big weekend with an estimated $12 million total, and Disney’s Tron: Ares, which is projected to have a $15 million weekend — which opened last week and two weeks ago respectively.
Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc is directed by series veteran Tatsuya Yoshihara (Black Clover) and written by Hiroshi Seko (Dan Da Dan, Jujutsu Kaisen). The movie features the returning voice cast from the television series, with new additions to the roster including Reina Ueda (Solo Leveling, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba) as Reze. Series studio MAPPA produced the film. The Chainsaw Man anime franchise is based on the original manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto, serialized in Shueisha’s Shonen Jump.
The film centers on Denji, who worked as a Devil Hunter for the yakuza until they betrayed him and had him killed. As he was losing consciousness, Denji’s beloved chainsaw-powered devil-dog, Pochita, made a deal with Denji and saved his life. This fused the two together, creating the unstoppable Chainsaw Man. Now, in a brutal war between devils, hunters, and secret enemies, a mysterious girl named Reze has stepped into his world, and Denji faces his deadliest battle yet, fueled by love in a world where survival knows no rules.
Friday afternoon update: The movie was estimated to bring in $8 million with the Friday ticket sales, so the overall weekend project was increased to $15 million.
Sunday morning update: The total weekend box-office for the movie increased to a very impressive $17.2 million, landing at the No. 1 Spot.
Additionally, the movie’s worldwide cume reached $108 million this weekend.
Watch the trailer below:
