Mappa's President Anticipates 'Reze Arc' Film to Ignite Fandom Expansion for 'Chainsaw Man' Animation
The popular anime series, Chainsaw Man, is set to continue its story with the release of the film adaptation of the "Reze Arc" later this month, both in the U.S. and other countries. Following its Japan release on September 19, the film, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, is scheduled for a U.S. release on October 29.
Studio Mappa, the production company behind Chainsaw Man, has announced plans to extend the series' storyline with the film, with a U.S. release date set for October 24, 2025. While concrete information regarding a second season has not been explicitly stated, the series creators hinted that characters may return in a potential second season.
In an interview, Studio Mappa's presidents, Manabu Ohtsuka and Hiroya Hasegawa, discussed their reasons for adapting the "Reze Arc" into a film instead of a second season. They chose this route to reach a broader audience and maximize business potential. Revenue shares were less of a factor in the theatrical release of "Reze Arc" compared to expanding the anime's fanbase.
Ohtsuka also clarified a previous statement he made in an interview with Tokyo Keizai, where he compared Chainsaw Man to another popular Mappa anime, Jujutsu Kaisen. He stated that his comments were misinterpreted, and he never intended to compare the two anime in any way.
Interestingly, the compilation film of Jujutsu Kaisen's second-season anime arc, Hidden Inventory/Premature Death, also had a theatrical release and earned $2.5 million in the U.S. This suggests that a theatrical release strategy may be effective in drumming up hype for the series.
In addition to the film adaptation, Studio Mappa is planning an anime adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto's slice-of-life, end-of-volume short-panel Chainsaw Man stories, but a release date beyond Japan has yet to be announced. They also plan to collaborate with Sony Pictures to reach a wider audience.
Ohtsuka mentioned that they are always considering the best way to deliver Chainsaw Man to fans, and Hasegawa stated that Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc is a continuation of the first season and that they chose to make it a movie to deliver the Reze Arc effectively. They also hinted at the possibility of future Chainsaw Man content being released as either a series or a film, depending on their evaluation after the release of Reze Arc.
It appears that Chainsaw Man is following a similar strategy to Jujutsu Kaisen, with plans to drum up hype for the series through theatrical releases. Both series have had spin-off films with theatrical releases, with Jujutsu Kaisen releasing Jujutsu Kaisen 0. With the upcoming release of Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, fans can look forward to continuing the story of their favourite characters on the big screen.
