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For the second time in seven weekends, a Crunchyroll anime release is topping the box office charts as “Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc” has edged out “Black Phone 2” and several other new releases to top the charts with $8.5 million grossed on Friday and an estimated $15.5 million opening weekend from 3,003 locations. The R-rated anime action film has left its fans buzzing with excitement, earning the sort of scores usually reserved for faith-based films including an A on CinemaScore, 99% on Rotten Tomatoes and 5/5 on PostTrak. While that’s not likely to lead to long legs given its status as a franchise anime film, “Chainsaw Man” is another example of how Sony and Crunchyroll have successfully developed their anime theatrical distribution strategy, attracting fans of various franchises to theaters for a communal experience. This opening weekend ranks among the top 10 for anime films and is the third highest for an R-rated anime film behind only last month’s all-time record $70.6 million start for “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle” and the $21.2 million opening of “Demon Slayer: Mugen Train” in spring 2021. More to come…
