Paul Thomas Anderson isn’t exactly known as a blockbuster director, but One Battle After Another is looking to give the director his biggest box office opening yet. Per Deadline, the film is shaping up to enjoy a $21 million domestic weekend, with $24 million internationally, adding up to a potential $45 million worldwide take. Not bad at all. However, the film also boasts Anderson’s largest budget at around $150 million.
This opening has helped Warner Bros. to become the first studio of the year to cross the $4 billion mark at the worldwide box office. Deadline notes this is the first time Warner Bros. has crossed the mark since 2019.
The film, which is said to be loosely inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland, stars DiCaprio as Bob Ferguson, an ex-revolutionary who sets out to rescue his daughter when an evil enemy resurfaces years later. In addition to DiCaprio, One Battle After Another stars Benicio del Toro, Sean Penn, Regina Hall, Tayana Taylor, Chase Infiniti, Wood Harris, and Alana Haim.
Whether or not One Battle After Another breaks even remains to be seen, but the film has been enjoying some rave reviews. Our own Chris Bumbray even called the film a masterpiece in his review, adding, “It’s the kind of movie people will still be talking about thirty years from now, long after many others from this era are forgotten.“
“To me, One Battle After Another stands alongside Boogie Nights and Magnolia, my two favorites of Anderson’s, as one of his most emotionally engaging works,” he continued. “Technically, the film is impeccable. Anderson and DP Michael Bauman shoot in a 1.55:1 VistaVision aspect ratio (the same used by Hitchcock for North by Northwest) to stunning effect (it begs to be seen in 70mm or on an IMAX screen). The cinematography is gorgeous, and the action sequences—low-key yet realistic—are striking. One climactic car chase along rolling interstate hills had my heart in my throat, while Jonny Greenwood’s score ranks among his very best.” You can check out the rest of his review right here.
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