‘Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc’ Shatters Box Office Records and Wins Over Critics
Anime continues to dominate the box office with Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc taking the lead over new releases like the Bruce Springsteen biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere and the Colleen Hoover adaptation Regretting You.
The R-rated film earned $8.5 million from Friday and preview screenings across 3,003 theaters, and it is expected to reach around $15.5 million for its opening weekend. The movie is available in both subtitled and dubbed versions and benefited from IMAX and other large-format screenings, which have higher ticket prices.
This is another big success for Sony’s Crunchyroll label, which also scored the year’s biggest anime opening with Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle, which made $70.6 million in September.
While Chainsaw Man won’t hit that blockbuster level, its strong start shows that anime is now a major player at the box office, often outpacing new English-language releases.
Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, known in Japanese as 劇場版 チェンソーマン レゼ篇 (Gekijō-ban Chensō Man Reze-hen), is an animated dark fantasy action film based on Tatsuki Fujimoto’s popular manga.
Produced by MAPPA, directed by Tatsuya Yoshihara, and written by Hiroshi Seko, the film continues the story from the anime’s first season, covering volumes five and six of the manga. Storyboards were handled by Daisuke Tokudo, Masato Nakazono, Sōta Shigetsugu, Takuya Niinuma, Tatsuya Yoshihara, and Yuzuru Tachikawa.
The film premiered in Japan on September 19, through Toho and was released internationally by Crunchyroll via Sony Pictures Releasing from September 24 in select Asian markets to October 24 worldwide. It has already grossed $77 million globally and received widespread praise for its animation, action scenes, and story.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie holds a 96% rating from 25 critic reviews and a 99% audience score based on over 1,000 verified ratings. Richard Eisenbeis of Anime News Network gave it an A, praising its animation, visuals, music, and story, while highlighting Denji and Reze’s bittersweet love story, calling the film “worth-watched.”
Wilson Chapman of IndieWire gave the movie a B+, noting its animation, action sequences, characters, story, and voice acting. He wrote, “[the film] probably won’t have the same effect on most viewers, but it’s one of the best films in the recent crop of anime TV expansions, and its bittersweet teen love story is certainly potent enough to make you cry.”
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— チェンソーマン【公式】 (@CHAINSAWMAN_PR) September 18, 2025
劇場版『チェンソーマン レゼ篇』
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Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc shows how strong anime has become on the global stage. With thrilling action, great visuals, and an emotional story, it’s clear why audiences are flocking to theaters. Do you think this film deserves the hype? Share your thoughts in the comments.
