LOS ANGELES (AP) — The cinematic rendition of the beloved anime “Chainsaw Man” has emerged victorious at the North American box office, surpassing both a Bruce Springsteen biopic and the horror follow-up “Black Phone 2.”
Anime films continue to dominate, following the success of “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle,” which shattered records with a $70 million opening less than two months ago.
This weekend, “Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc” secured the top spot, grossing $17.25 million across theaters in the U.S. and Canada, as reported by Comscore. Meanwhile, “Black Phone 2” slipped to second place, bringing in $13 million in its second week.
The weekend also saw the debut of two fresh releases: the romantic comedy “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” the inaugural biopic of the iconic musician. These films earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. Completing the top five was “Tron: Ares,” with a box office take of $4.9 million, based on studio estimates shared by Comscore.
“Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is a stand-alone film adaptation of the popular manga, revolving around a demon hunter whose limbs and head morph into chainsaws. Combining elements of romance and thrilling action, the movie draws from Tatsuki Fujimoto’s manga, which was also turned into an anime series in 2022.
This success marks another triumph for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, the distributor of last month’s hit, “Infinity Castle.”
Globally, “Chainsaw Man” has earned an estimated $108,000 so far.
“Deliver Me From Nowhere” stars Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen, focusing on the Boss’ struggles while creating his “Nebraska” album, released in 1982. White had to learn to play the guitar and had little singing experience before taking on playing Springsteen, who was involved in the production.
The film earned a B+ score on Cinemascore, while “Chainsaw Man” scored an A from audiences.
“Black Phone 2” stars Ethan Hawke and Mason Thames in the sequel to hit 2021 original. It’s now earned nearly $50 million domestically and more than $80 million worldwide.
“Regretting You,” a tragicomedy starring Dave Franco, Alison Williams, Scott Eastwood and Thames, is the latest adaptation of a Colleen Hoover novel.
Top 10 movies by domestic box office
With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:
1. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc,” $17.3 million
2. “Black Phone 2,” $13 million
3. “Regretting You,” $12.9 million
4. “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” $9.1 million
5. “Tron: Ares,” $4.9 million
6. “Good Fortune,” $3.1 million
7. “Shelby Oaks,” $2.4 million
8. “One Battle After Another,” $2.3 million
9. “Roofman,” $2 million
10. “ParaNorman (Remastered),” $991,910
