Leonardo DiCaprio’s New Film Expected to Lose $100 Million at the Box Office Despite Strong Opening

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Despite positive reviews, Paul Thomas Anderson’s new movie, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, isn’t performing well at the box office.

This fast-paced thriller draws inspiration from Thomas Pynchon’s novel, *Vineland*, and stars Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Chase Infiniti. The film centers on a former revolutionary who must come out of hiding when a dishonest military officer begins pursuing him and his daughter.

Anderson had long desired to make a film based on Pynchon’s novel, and he ultimately wove his own ideas and narratives into the storyline.

The movie was filmed in California using VistaVision, an older film format not commonly seen in today’s movies. Initially budgeted at $115 million, the final production cost reached $175 million, making it the most costly film director Anderson has ever made.

The film first premiered in Los Angeles on September 8th, and then opened in theaters across the U.S. on September 26th, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

The film was a critical and commercial success, becoming Wes Anderson’s most profitable movie to date with a worldwide gross of $140.9 million. It earned $55.7 million in the US and Canada, and $85.2 million internationally.

Wes Anderson’s latest film, *One Battle After Another*, debuted in a record-breaking 3,634 theaters. It earned $8.8 million on its opening day, with $3.1 million coming from preview showings on Thursday, and ultimately grossed $22 million over the weekend, making it the top movie in theaters. However, ticket sales fell by 50% during its second weekend, bringing in $11 million and placing it in second place behind *Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl*.

I’m so excited for Paul Thomas Anderson’s new film, #OneBattleAfterAnother! It looks incredible, and with a cast like Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Chase Infiniti, I know it’s going to be amazing. I’ve already marked September 26th on my calendar – it’s hitting theaters then and I can’t wait!

— Warner Bros. (@warnerbros) March 27, 2025

Even though the movie has done well for a nearly three-hour, R-rated film, it still needs to earn around $300 million to become profitable, according to Variety. Warner Bros. invested over $130 million to make the film and an additional $70 million to advertise it. Because ticket sales are usually split evenly between the studio and theaters, and Leonardo DiCaprio also receives a cut of the earnings before the studio makes its money back, the film has a high financial hurdle to clear.

According to Fandango’s Shawn Robbins, the film hasn’t done well because it didn’t generate enough excitement or a feeling that people were missing out. He explained that it simply wasn’t presented as a must-see event.

As a moviegoer, I’m noticing a real shift in how people watch films. Analyst Robbins highlighted something I’ve definitely seen – more and more viewers are happily waiting to stream movies at home, particularly if they aren’t huge blockbusters with superheroes or massive special effects. He put it perfectly: audiences now expect those films to be available for home viewing much faster than they used to.

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2025-10-15 22:16