For Warner Bros., it’s been one box office hit after another, but the studio’s streak of successful openings will be put to the test with director Paul Thomas Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio‘s “One Battle After Another” this weekend. So far, it’s made $3.1 million in Thursday previews.
The epic action thriller is projected to open between $20 million to $25 million this weekend. That’s on par with DiCaprio’s last opening weekend, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” which was directed by Martin Scorsese in 2023 and co-starred Robert De Niro.
DiCaprio’s star power, Anderson’s credentials as an auteur and rave reviews will have to work overtime for “One Battle After Another” at the box office, because it carries a hefty $130 million price tag. It’ll need roughly $300 million to break even. Anderson’s highest-grossing movie of his career is 2007’s “There Will Be Blood,” which made $76.4 million globally. Warner Bros.’ hot streak of movies could relieve some of the box office pressure, considering their last seven movies all opened above $40 million. That list includes “A Minecraft Movie,” “Sinners,” “Final Destination Bloodlines,” “F1: The Movie” (which the studio distributed for Apple), “Superman,” “Weapons” and “The Conjuring: Last Rites.”
In “One Battle After Another,” DiCaprio stars as a washed-up revolutionary struggling to raise his teenage daughter as an enemy from his past reemerges. The cast includes Sean Penn, Teyana Taylor, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Chase Infiniti and more.
Also opening this weekend is Universal’s G-rated film “Gabby’s Dollhouse,” which is targeting a $12 million to $15 million opening. The family-friendly film is based on Netflix’s hit series for pre-schoolers, and it made $700,000 in previews. Lionsgate’s “The Strangers: Chapter 2,” the second installment of the rebooted horror trilogy, is on track to make $6 million to $8 million. It made $630,000 in previews.