“Chainsaw Man” Slices Through Box Office, Springsteen Debuts

The latest cinematic offerings have delivered a varied performance in their Thursday preview screenings, with Sony and Crunchyroll’s R-rated anime, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, cutting through the competition to secure a strong lead. The highly anticipated animated feature earned an impressive $3.4 million in previews, signaling a promising start to its domestic theatrical run. In contrast, Disney and 20th Century Studios’ musical biopic, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, debuted with $850,000 in its Thursday night showings.

‘Chainsaw Man’ Revs Up the Box Office

Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, a direct sequel to the popular anime series, has demonstrated significant drawing power, particularly among its dedicated fanbase. The film’s $3.4 million from Thursday previews sets it up as a frontrunner among the weekend’s new releases. Industry analysts are projecting an opening weekend domestic total ranging from $11 million to $15 million, with some forecasts suggesting it could even reach $17 million. This strong early performance highlights the continued growth and theatrical viability of anime titles in North America.

The film plunges viewers further into the dark fantasy world of Denji, a Devil Hunter fused with his chainsaw-powered devil-dog, Pochita. His latest challenge involves a mysterious girl named Reze, whose introduction leads Denji into a perilous battle fueled by love and betrayal. Prior to its wider release in the United States and other non-Asian markets on October 24, 2025, the movie had already accumulated over $68 million globally, following its Japanese debut on September 19, 2025. This success follows in the footsteps of Sony’s previous anime hit, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle, which achieved a record-breaking $70 million opening weekend and went on to gross $131 million domestically and $659 million worldwide. While Chainsaw Man is not expected to reach the same heights as Demon Slayer, its strong debut reinforces Crunchyroll and Sony’s significant presence in the theatrical distribution of animated features.

‘Springsteen’ Takes the Stage

Scott Cooper’s biographical musical drama, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, commenced its theatrical run with $850,000 in Thursday previews. The film, starring Emmy winner Jeremy Allen White as the iconic Bruce Springsteen, delves into the artist’s personal and professional journey during the creation of his seminal 1982 album, “Nebraska.” White undertook extensive preparation for the role, performing his own singing for the on-screen musical sequences.

With an estimated production budget of $55 million, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere is projected to achieve an opening weekend gross ranging from $8 million to $12 million, though some forecasts are higher, placing it between $15 million and $20 million. The film, which also features Jeremy Strong as Springsteen’s manager Jon Landau, and Stephen Graham as his father, had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival in August 2025 and has received mixed critical reviews, currently holding a 67% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, alongside a more favorable 86% audience score.

Other Notable Releases and Holdovers

This weekend also sees the wider release of Paramount’s romantic drama, Regretting You, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel. The film, directed by Josh Boone and starring Allison Williams and Mckenna Grace, focuses on a mother and daughter navigating a devastating accident that uncovers shocking betrayals. With a reported budget of $30 million, initial projections for Regretting You‘s opening weekend range from $8 million to $10 million, though some predict up to $17 million to $22 million, bolstered by Hoover’s dedicated fanbase. Critical reception for the film has been largely negative, with a 17% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Among the holdovers, Universal and Blumhouse’s horror sequel, The Black Phone 2, is expected to maintain a strong presence. After opening last weekend with $27.3 million, the film earned $1.6 million on Thursday, bringing its five-day total to $32.4 million domestically. Projections for its second weekend range from $10 million to $15 million, positioning it as a strong contender to hold the top spot or at least remain a significant player leading up to Halloween. With a budget of $30 million, The Black Phone 2 has already accumulated a worldwide total of $49.6 million.

The Broader Box Office Landscape

The current box office landscape for the weekend of October 24-27, 2025, showcases a diverse array of cinematic offerings, each vying for audience attention. While horror continues to perform well in the pre-Halloween season with films like The Black Phone 2, the robust performance of Chainsaw Man: The Movie: Reze Arc underscores a significant and growing appetite for anime on the big screen. The varied appeal of a music biopic, a romantic drama, and a horror sequel provides counter-programming options for different demographics, potentially leading to a competitive weekend for all new releases.