The highly anticipated Chainsaw Man: The Movie – Reze Arc made a spectacular debut in Japanese cinemas last Friday, instantly climbing to the top spot of the weekend box office. By September 21st, the film had already amassed a staggering 1.251 billion yen (approximately US$8.45 million) from 807,000 tickets sold. This impressive opening marks it as the third-largest film debut of 2025 in Japan, following the colossal successes of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle (5.52 billion yen) and Detective Conan: One-eyed Flashback (3.43 billion yen).
Reports from a recent stage event revealed that the Chainsaw Man film garnered 420 million yen (US$2.83 million) and sold 272,000 tickets on its opening day alone. Voice actors present at the event expressed confidence, projecting the movie could earn at least 5 billion yen throughout its entire Japanese theatrical run. To put its initial performance into perspective, other notable anime films include Weathering With You, which opened to 1.64 billion yen in 2019 and concluded with 14.06 billion yen; Suzume, which debuted with 1.884 billion yen in 2022 and finished at 14.94 billion yen; and THE FIRST SLAM DUNK, which premiered with 1.296 billion yen in 2022 and achieved a final total of 16.48 billion yen.
The movie is directed by Tatsuya Yoshihara, known for his work on the fourth and tenth episodes of the Chainsaw Man TV anime and a significant portion of the Black Clover TV anime series. Hiroshi Seko returns to pen the script, with Kazutaka Sugiyama serving as Character Designer. The esteemed studio MAPPA is behind the animation. Additional key staff include Souta Yamazaki and Shun as Sub Character Designers, Sota Shigetsugu as Action Animation Director, and Shoichi as the Main Animator. Riki Matsuura is responsible for designing the devils, collaborating with Kiyotaka Oshiyama, director of Look Back.
After its successful September 19th launch in Japan, Chainsaw Man: The Movie – Reze Arc is set to begin its international rollout on September 24th. Audiences in the United States can look forward to exclusive theatrical and IMAX screenings commencing on October 24th.
The Chainsaw Man TV anime series first premiered in Japan in October 2022. It follows the story of Denji, a young boy burdened by a massive debt inherited from his parents. He works as a Devil Hunter alongside Pochita, the ‘Chainsaw Devil.’ After a tragic betrayal and death, Denji forms a pact with Pochita, leading to his resurrection as the ‘Chainsaw Man’ – now possessing the Devil’s heart and wielding incredible power.