For most of the year, Warner Bros. has been unstoppable at the box office. The studio rolled out a string of massive hits, including A Minecraft Movie, Sinners, Final Destination: Bloodlines, Superman, and Weapons, that each stormed past the $40 million mark domestically in their opening weekends. The streak gave Warners a swagger that few studios could match, cementing its status as Hollywood’s current box office champion.
That run finally slowed with the release of Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another. The film opened to a modest $22 million domestically, well short of the numbers set by the studio’s recent blockbusters. But while One Battle After Another brought Warner Bros’ monetary hot streak to an end, the studio is likely not sweating the dip.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s Latest Wins a Different ‘Battle’
While a $22 million domestic debut is rough for a film with an estimated $140 million budget, there’s more to the story. One Battle After Another also earned $26 million overseas, giving Anderson the biggest global debut of his career; in fact, the $48 million opening gross is almost equal to the entire global haul for Phantom Thread. Add in an “A” CinemaScore grade, and the film looks poised to enjoy long legs in theaters. This is especially true for a director whose works have always been slow burns rather than flash-in-the-pan blockbusters.
Anderson has never been a box office juggernaut. His most successful film to date, There Will Be Blood, topped out at $76 million worldwide, and One Battle After Another is already on its way to equaling or besting that. But even though his films never make much of a box office dent, works like Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love, and There Will Be Blood are considered classics by film lovers years later. PTA’s movies have a long cultural tail. Even if it never approaches the grosses of A Minecraft Movie or Superman, having a film with such high audience acclaim strengthens the studio’s catalog and solidifies Warner Bros.’ reputation as a home for visionary directors.
There’s also the rapturous critical reception. Anderson has long been a favorite of cinephiles, and One Battle After Another is enjoying a 96% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics have lauded Anderson’s fiery direction and surprising knack for action sequences, as well as the performances of Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, and Chase Infiniti. The film is likely to top year-end lists for many critics and critics’ groups, and be an award season favorite. It’s going to be part of a long conversation that’s just beginning.
‘One Battle After Another’ Will Be Talked About Throughout Oscar Season
The Oscars, in fact, may be where One Battle After Another delivers Warner Bros. its biggest win. Coming off the commercial dominance of Sinners, the studio now has two very different films to anchor its awards campaign. Ryan Coogler’s vampire movie gives Warner a populist juggernaut, while Anderson’s latest supplies prestige and critical credibility. Warner Bros. likely intends to treat One Battle After Another as a top-tier awards player, putting it in front of voters throughout the season with screenings, Q&As, and “For Your Consideration” campaigns designed to keep its momentum strong through Oscar night.
This is a familiar playbook for the studio. Warner Bros. has excelled at balancing box office muscle with prestige offerings, from Joker, which combined commercial heat with serious awards aspirations, to A Star Is Born, which played in theaters for months and scored multiple Academy Award nominations.
With Anderson’s film, the studio gets something similar, if less commercial: a movie that might not dominate the box office, but which enriches Warner Bros.’ reputation with critics, artists, and award voters. And if the film breaks through as a genuine Best Picture contender — perhaps even the top rival to Sinners — Warner Bros. wins no matter which of its films goes home with the gold, and audiences may be interested in seeing what all the acclaim is about. The studio will also be able to leverage that momentum into an HBO Max release late this year or in early 2026, taking advantage of award buzz to give prestige films a second life with audiences who skipped them in theaters. Oscar’s attention could turn One Battle After Another into a must-watch cultural event. The synergy of theatrical prestige feeding into streaming buzz is increasingly how studios define success in the modern era.
In the Long Run, a Weaker Opening Weekend Doesn’t Matter
Benicio del Toro in One Battle After AnotherImage via Warner Bros. Pictures
The end of Warner Bros.’ box office hot streak might look like a setback, but it reflects the breadth of the studio’s ambitions. Not every film can be a blockbuster opener. Some are built to dominate the cultural conversation for weeks, months, or even years. One Battle After Another is already proving to be a conversation-starter.
Its opening weekend may not have rewritten the record books, but the film is already positioned for a strong run ahead. For Warner Bros., that’s a win that goes beyond the box office and proves their streak of success is very much intact.
Release Date
September 26, 2025
Runtime
162 minutes
Director
Paul Thomas Anderson
Writers
Paul Thomas Anderson, Thomas Pynchon
Producers
Adam Somner