The U.S. box office saw an unexpected shake-up this weekend, with Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc leading the charts and Colleen Hoover’s Regretting You outperforming expectations.
The Japanese anime feature Chainsaw Man debuted at
No. 1 on Friday, earning $8.5 million from 3,003 theaters, including $3.4
million from Thursday previews. The film is now projected to open with an
impressive $15–$17 million, far exceeding forecasts. With a 96% critics’ score
and a 99% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes — plus an A CinemaScore — it’s
another big win for anime fans.
Produced by MAPPA and distributed by Sony and Crunchyroll,
the R-rated film has already made over $64 million worldwide since opening in
Japan last month. Based on Tatsuki Fujimoto’s hit manga and directed by Tatsuya
Yoshihara, the story follows Denji (Kikunosuke Toya), a teenage demon hunter
reborn with chainsaw powers after a tragic deal with his devil-dog companion,
Pochita (Shiori Izawa). When the mysterious Reze enters his life, romance and
chaos collide in a high-stakes battle that threatens Tokyo.
Chainsaw Man was expected to compete closely with Black
Phone 2, Blumhouse and Universal’s horror sequel, for the top spot.
However, strong turnout from male and younger audiences pushed the anime far
ahead — 75% of ticket buyers were male, and more than half were under 25,
according to PostTrak.
In a surprise second-place finish, Regretting You —
the latest adaptation of a Colleen Hoover novel — outpaced both Black Phone
2 and Disney’s Deliver Me From Nowhere: Springsteen. The romantic
drama took in $5.2 million on Friday from 3,593 theaters, on track for a $13
million opening.
Despite lukewarm reviews, Regretting You is earning
strong audience reactions, with a 90% Rotten Tomatoes score and a B
CinemaScore. Women made up 85% of Friday’s audience, while 73% were under 35,
showing Hoover’s enduring appeal among younger female viewers. Paramount
skipped standard previews, instead hosting a nationwide fan event streamed live
from AMC Lincoln Square in New York with director Josh Boone and stars Allison
Williams, Dave Franco, and Mason Thames.
Meanwhile, Black Phone 2 is holding steady in third
place with $3.8 million on Friday and a projected $12 million weekend. Disney’s
Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere follows in fourth, bringing in $3.5
million on Friday for a $9–$10 million opening. The Bruce Springsteen biopic,
starring Jeremy Allen White, is drawing an older audience, with over 60% of
viewers aged 45 and above.
Elsewhere, Neon’s found-footage horror debut Shelby Oaks
— directed by YouTube critic Chris Stuckmann — opened in 1,823 theaters and is
projected to earn $2–$2.5 million after becoming Kickstarter’s highest-funded
horror film ever.
At the specialty box office, Focus Features’ Bugonia
— the latest from director Yorgos Lanthimos starring Emma Stone and Jesse
Plemons — posted one of the strongest limited debuts of the year, averaging
$32,765 per theater across 17 locations.
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