Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc slashed its way to a powerful debut at the U.S. box office. The film earned an estimated $17.3 million from 3,003 theaters, far exceeding projections. It’s another major win for anime in American cinemas.
The movie’s reception is exceptional. It holds a 96% critics score and a 99% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Viewers also gave it an A CinemaScore and five out of five stars on PostTrak. The numbers show strong word-of-mouth and fan enthusiasm.
Blood, Love, and Chaos in Tokyo
The story follows Denji (Kikunosuke Toya), a teenager who hunts demons for the yakuza. When the gang kills him, his loyal devil-dog Pochita (Shiori Izawa) sacrifices himself to bring Denji back. Together, they fuse into one being, giving Denji the power to turn parts of his body into chainsaws.
The action soon turns emotional. Denji meets Reze, a mysterious girl who captures his heart. But Reze isn’t who she seems. Their romance twists into betrayal and violence. As their love unravels, Tokyo faces destruction.
‘Black Phone 2’ Fights for Second Place
The weekend’s other box office story came from Black Phone 2. The Blumhouse horror sequel narrowly beat Regretting You, the latest Colleen Hoover adaptation after It Ends With Us.
Black Phone 2 dropped only 52% in its second week, earning $13 million and bringing its U.S. total to $49.1 million. Overseas, it added $10.5 million from 74 markets, pushing its global total to $80.4 million.
The film is holding strong, especially for a horror release. With no other major studio horror titles in theaters this Halloween season, it’s set to keep ringing up audiences in the weeks ahead.
The top 12 movies of the weekend, as of Sunday, October 26, are as follows:
| # | Title | Distributor Name | Weekend Total | # of Locs | Loc Avg | Cume Total | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc | Sony/Crunchyroll | $17,250,000 | 3,003 | $5,744 | $17,250,000 | |
| 2 | Black Phone 2 | Universal | $13,000,000 | 3,460 | $3,757 | $49,053,000 | -52% |
| 3 | Regretting You | Paramount | $12,850,000 | 3,393 | $3,787 | $12,850,000 | |
| 4 | Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere | 20th Century Studios | $9,100,000 | 3,460 | $2,630 | $9,100,000 | |
| 5 | Tron: Ares | Disney | $4,900,000 | 2,940 | $1,667 | $63,367,203 | -56% |
| 6 | Good Fortune | Lionsgate | $3,100,000 | 2,990 | $1,037 | $11,799,000 | -50% |
| 7 | Shelby Oaks | Neon Rated | $2,350,000 | 1,823 | $1,289 | $2,350,000 | |
| 8 | One Battle After Another | Warner Bros. | $2,330,000 | 1,473 | $1,582 | $65,786,000 | -39% |
| 9 | Roofman | Paramount | $2,000,000 | 2,347 | $852 | $19,360,000 | -46% |
| 10 | ParaNorman (Remastered) | Fathom Entertainment | $991,910 | 1,359 | $730 | $991,910 | |
| 11 | Truth & Treason | Angel Studios | $933,125 | 1,689 | $552 | $4,805,349 | -64% |
| 12 | Conjuring: Last Rites, The | Warner Bros. | $730,000 | 961 | $760 | $176,741,000 | -54% |
