Box-Office: ‘Chainsaw Man’ Nabs $3.4M in Previews, ‘Black Phone 2’ Grabs $1.6M, ‘Springsteen’ Soft With $850K

Sony/Crunchyroll’s “Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc” racked up an impressive $3.4M in previews yesterday, which began at 4 p.m. across 2500 locations. Since it’s expected to be frontloaded, the Tatsuya Yoshihara–directed movie, based on the popular manga, is projected to ring up over $11M this weekend. The film’s strong early turnout underscores the continued box-office strength of anime titles in North America.

Universal/Blumhouse’s “The Black Phone 2” might still hang on to the top spot after posting $1.6M on Thursday. The sequel is headed toward a $12M+ second frame — a solid hold for a horror release that’s showing impressive legs as Halloween approaches. Word-of-mouth has been persistently strong among audiences.

Meanwhile, Scott Cooper’s “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere” stumbled out of the gate, earning just $850k — that’s same amount ‘Smashing Machine’ made. The $55M biopic is expected to bring in roughly $9M over the weekend. Playing in 3460+ screens, the film’s slow start suggests limited interest.

However, the real surprise might come from Paramount’s “Regretting You,” a Colleen Hoover adaptation that’s been quietly released in less than 500 screens. Despite the limited rollout, early projections suggest a $11M weekend, potentially topping “Springsteen,” or who knows, even ‘Black Phone 2.’ Once again, and after the immense success of last year’s “It Ends With Us,” Hoover’s devoted fanbase proves to be a major box-office force. Her name carries real theatrical weight.