Box Office: ‘Chainsaw Man’ Slices Into No. 1 as ‘Black Phone,’ ‘Springsteen’ and ‘Regretting You’ Battle for Second

Chainsaw Man’s Surprising Victory at the Box Office

Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc slices its way to the top of the domestic box office with a remarkable $14 million to $17 million opening weekend, exceeding most industry projections and signaling continued strength for anime theatrical releases in North America. The film, directed by Tatsuya Yoshihara and distributed by Sony and Crunchyroll, earned an impressive $3.4 million during Thursday preview screenings alone—a figure that already suggested dominance among the weekend’s new releases.

Friday saw the anime film generate between $8 million and $9 million from 3,003 theaters, establishing its commanding position atop the box office hierarchy. The R-rated anime feature has already accumulated over $64 million globally following its successful Japanese theatrical run, demonstrating the franchise’s international commercial appeal and fanbase dedication across multiple territories.

The film’s perfect 100 percent critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, paired with an exceptional 99 percent audience score—a rarely seen combination—underscores both critical acclaim and genuine audience enthusiasm. PostTrak polling awarded the film five stars, indicating exceptional word-of-mouth potential that should sustain its theatrical performance throughout the Halloween season when anime releases have historically performed well alongside horror offerings.

Produced by MAPPA, the studio behind the acclaimed anime series, the film adapts the Reze Arc storyline from Tatsuki Fujimoto’s manga. The adaptation arrives as streaming platforms continue planning distribution on Disney+, Crunchyroll, and Hulu, creating additional marketing opportunities and extending the franchise’s reach beyond theatrical audiences.

The Anime Box Office Phenomenon Continues

Chainsaw Man‘s strong opening represents the latest triumph in anime’s remarkable theatrical resurgence, following immediately on the heels of Sony’s Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle, which opened to a blockbuster $70 million in September and has since accumulated $131 million domestically and over $659 million globally—making it the ninth highest-grossing film of 2025 worldwide.

The consistent strength of anime releases at the box office has forced studios and distributors to reconsider theatrical strategies previously reserved for tentpole franchise offerings. What was once considered niche entertainment for dedicated fanbase audiences has transformed into mainstream event cinema capable of competing with established franchises and prestige productions for audience dollars and critical attention.

Industry analysts attribute this phenomenon to multiple factors: growing mainstream acceptance of anime storytelling following streaming platform investments in the medium, maturing audiences who grew up with anime and now command significant disposable income, improved theatrical presentation technology enabling anime’s visual aesthetics to shine on big screens, and strategic marketing that positions anime releases as cultural events rather than genre curiosities.

Sony’s dual success with Demon Slayer and Chainsaw Man in consecutive months validates the studio’s anime-focused theatrical strategy and suggests additional anime releases will receive major theatrical distributions in coming years. Distributors are clearly recognizing anime as a reliable box office performer capable of generating substantial returns on modest production investments compared to live-action tentpoles.

Black Phone 2 Maintains Strong Second-Place Performance

Universal and Blumhouse’s The Black Phone 2, which debuted at number one last weekend with $27.3 million domestically and $42.8 million globally, holds impressively in second place with a projected $12.9 million weekend haul—representing only a 55 percent decline from its opening weekend. This moderate drop demonstrates exceptional word-of-mouth and audience enthusiasm driving repeat attendance and sustained interest.

Director Scott Derrickson’s horror sequel, starring Ethan Hawke and Mason Thames, benefits from strong reviews, positive audience reception, and strategic timing during Halloween season when horror audiences actively seek theatrical experiences. The film earned an additional $3 million on Tuesday during discount pricing, matching almost exactly the original Black Phone‘s Tuesday performance from 2022, suggesting consistent fanbase enthusiasm across installments.

With a five-day cumulative of approximately $32.5 million (nine percent above the original film’s five-day total), Black Phone 2 is tracking toward a potential domestic total exceeding $50 million and positioning itself as another Blumhouse horror success story. The first film ultimately earned $90.1 million domestically and $161.4 million globally, establishing performance benchmarks the sequel appears well-positioned to meet or exceed.

The film’s continued theatrical dominance of the horror space—particularly The Conjuring: Last Rites, which continues its seventh-weekend run with solid performance—demonstrates that audiences maintain appetite for theatrical horror experiences despite streaming platform investments in the genre.

Springsteen and Regretting You Battle for Second Place

Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, the $55 million-budgeted musical biopic starring Emmy-winning actor Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen, underperformed expectations with a soft Thursday preview of $850,000—the same amount indie film The Smashing Machine earned in previews. This sluggish start suggests limited early enthusiasm for the biographical drama, though the film projects a $8 million to $12 million weekend opening from 3,400+ theaters.

Director Scott Cooper’s film chronicles Springsteen’s creation of his acclaimed 1982 album Nebraska, positioning itself within the biographical drama tradition alongside recent successes like Searchlight Pictures’ A Complete Unknown about Bob Dylan, which opened to $11.6 million and accumulated $75 million domestically. The strategic positioning of Springsteen anticipates similar audience interest among Bruce Springsteen devotees and older demographics who typically support biographical dramas, though early tracking suggests skepticism regarding theatrical appeal.

Paramount’s Regretting You, a Colleen Hoover romantic drama adaptation, surprisingly projects a competitive $8 million to $10 million weekend from limited initial release, leveraging the devoted Hoover fanbase that demonstrated formidable theatrical power through It Ends With Us‘s success last year. The film stars McKenna Grace, Mason Thames, Allison Williams, and Dave Franco in this PG-13 exploration of mother-daughter relationships navigating tragedy. The modest $30 million budget means even modest theatrical performance could prove profitable, particularly with streaming platform deals available once theatrical windows conclude.

Industry observers note that Regretting You‘s limited initial release strategy—beginning with less than 500 screens—contrasts sharply with traditional wide releases, potentially allowing the film to achieve per-theater averages that justify rapid expansion if audience reception proves favorable.

Weekend Box Office Analysis and Market Implications

This weekend represents another relatively quiet October period following Warner Bros.’ strategic decision to move Mortal Kombat II from October 24 to May 2026, avoiding direct competition with established properties. The theatrical landscape reflects broader industry trends: anime releases dominating mainstream box office performance, horror maintaining steady audience interest through Halloween season, and biographical dramas struggling against audience preferences for spectacle or familiar franchises.

The World Series competition (Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Toronto Blue Jays) may have impacted theatrical attendance, particularly in Los Angeles—the nation’s second-largest movie market and a significant anime fanbase hub—where two opening games occurred during the weekend. However, traditional sports viewing has historically generated less theatrical competition than NFL Sunday programming, suggesting boxing office impact remained minimal.

Top 5 Estimated Weekend Box Office:

1. Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc – $14-17 million (New)
2. Black Phone 2 – $12.9 million (Week 2)
3. Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere – $9-12 million (New)
4. Regretting You – $9-11 million (New, Limited)
5. Tron: Ares – $4.4 million (Week 3, down 60%)

Additional performers include Lionsgate’s Good Fortune ($3 million), Warner Bros.’ One Battle After Another ($1.9 million), Paramount/Miramax’s Roofman ($1.8 million), and Neon’s supernatural horror Shelby Oaks ($2.9 million).