One Battle After Another
283ms
Get ready for a cinematic event unlike any other. **One Battle After Another**, the 2025 American epic action thriller, is here.
Written, produced, and directed by the visionary Paul Thomas Anderson, this film draws inspiration from the celebrated 1990 novel *Vineland* by Thomas Pynchon.
Starring an powerhouse cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and the remarkable debut of Chase Infiniti, **One Battle After Another** plunges you into a world of high stakes.
Witness an ex-revolutionary, portrayed by DiCaprio, embark on a desperate mission to rescue his daughter, played by Infiniti, from the clutches of a corrupt military official, brought to life by Sean Penn.
The film had its grand unveiling at its world premiere in Los Angeles on September 8, 2025, and is set to explode onto screens in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures on September 26.
Critics are already buzzing, hailing **One Battle After Another** with universal acclaim.
**The Premise:** When an old enemy resurfaces after sixteen long years, a group of former revolutionaries are forced to reunite, their only mission: to rescue the daughter of one of their own.
**The Cast:**
Leonardo DiCaprio as "Ghetto" Pat Calhoun, a legendary ex-member of the French 75.
Sean Penn as the formidable Col. Steven J. Lockjaw, Bob's nemesis.
Benicio del Toro as Sergio St. Carlos, a seasoned French 75 leader and Willa's sensei.
Regina Hall and Teyana Taylor as integral members of the French 75, Perfidia Beverly Hills, Willa's mother and Bob's wife.
Chase Infiniti as Willa Ferguson / Charlene Calhoun, the daughter at the heart of the storm.
And an incredible ensemble including Alana Haim, Wood Harris, Shayna McHayle, Paul Grimstad, Tony Goldwyn, Starletta DuPois, D. W. Moffett, Kevin Tighe, Jim Downey, John Hoogenakker, Eric Schweig, and the voice of Jena Malone as the greeting code.
**Production:** Paul Thomas Anderson’s journey to bring **One Battle After Another** to life was a labor of passion, evolving from years of contemplation over Thomas Pynchon's *Vineland*. What emerged is a potent fusion of his own original stories with the profound father-daughter dynamic at the core of Pynchon's work.
Filming commenced in California in January 2024, with a dedicated eleven-day shoot across Humboldt County, followed by extensive work in Sacramento, and the breathtaking landscapes of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and El Paso, Texas, near the Mexico-United States border. Shot on classic 35mm film with VistaVision cameras by Michael Bauman, this marks his second collaboration with Anderson.
With a reported production budget that reached $175 million, **One Battle After Another** stands as the most ambitious and costly film of Paul Thomas Anderson's career, a testament to his unwavering vision.
Following multiple test screenings in early 2025, Anderson embraced audience feedback, refining the film and confirming its title. This collaboration marks his sixth with composer Jonny Greenwood and a poignant final collaboration with first assistant director and producer Adam Somner, to whom the film is dedicated.
**Release:** Prepare for **One Battle After Another** in theaters on September 26, 2025, with previews starting September 24. This marks a historic moment as it’s the first of Anderson's films to be released in IMAX. The film premiered at the iconic TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles on September 8, 2025, followed by a global tour. The film's first full trailer, lauded for its score, even took home a Golden Trailer Award.
**Reception:** The buzz is undeniable. Projections estimate a strong opening weekend of $20–25 million in the United States and Canada, with an additional $20 million expected internationally.
Critics are raving. On Rotten Tomatoes, a staggering 98% of reviews are positive, with the consensus declaring: "An epic screwball adventure teeming with awe-inspiring action set pieces, **One Battle After Another** is Paul Thomas Anderson's most entertaining film yet while also one of his most thematically rich." Metacritic echoes this sentiment, awarding the film a score of 95 out of 100, indicating universal acclaim.
One Battle After Another is a 2025 American epic action thriller film written, produced, and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. It is inspired by the 1990 novel Vineland by Thomas Pynchon. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Chase Infiniti (in her film debut), and follows an ex-revolutionary (DiCaprio) who must rescue his daughter (Infiniti) from a corrupt military official (Penn).
One Battle After Another had its world premiere in Los Angeles on September 8, 2025, and is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures on September 26. The film received universal acclaim from critics.
== Premise ==
When an enemy resurfaces after 16 years, a group of ex-revolutionaries reunite to rescue the daughter of one of their own.
== Cast ==
Leonardo DiCaprio as "Ghetto" Pat Calhoun / Bob Ferguson, a washed-up former member of a revolutionary group known as the French 75.
Sean Penn as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw, Bob's nemesis.
Benicio del Toro as Sergio St. Carlos, Willa's sensei and a French 75 leader.
Regina Hall as Deandra, a French 75 member
Teyana Taylor as Perfidia Beverly Hills, a French 75 member, Willa's mother and Bob’s wife.
Chase Infiniti as Willa Ferguson / Charlene Calhoun, Bob and Perfidia's daughter.
Alana Haim as Mae West, a French 75 member
Wood Harris as Laredo, a French 75 member
Shayna McHayle as Junglepussy, a French 75 member
Paul Grimstad as Howard Sommerville, a French 75 member
Tony Goldwyn as Virgil Throckmorton
Starletta DuPois as Grandma Jennie
D. W. Moffett as Bill Desmond
Kevin Tighe as Roy More
Jim Downey as Sandy Irvine
John Hoogenakker as Tim Smith
Eric Schweig as Avanti
Jena Malone as the voice of the greeting code
== Production ==
Anderson had considered adapting Thomas Pynchon's novel Vineland (1990) for years before pre-production began on One Battle After Another, but struggled, believing his love for the novel would get in the way of his ability to fairly rework it. Instead, he set aside the idea of an adaptation, and wrote a series of separate stories. One Battle After Another emerged as a combination of those independent stories with some elements of Vineland, particularly the father-daughter dynamic.
In June 2023, Anderson's next film, rumored to star Regina Hall, Viggo Mortensen, and Joaquin Phoenix, found its home at Warner Bros. Pictures. In January 2024, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and Hall were confirmed to star. In February, Alana Haim, Wood Harris, Teyana Taylor, Shayna McHayle, and Chase Infiniti joined the cast. DiCaprio reportedly received his standard $20 million fee for his involvement.
Principal photography began in California on January 22, 2024. The film, under the working title BC Project, filmed for eleven days across Humboldt County in Arcata, Cutten, Eureka, and Trinidad. On February 3, production moved to Sacramento, with filming at the Sacramento County Administration Building and Sacramento County Courthouse. A homeless encampment was cleared to allow for filming, sparking controversy. On-location filming also took place in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and Borrego Springs in May 2024, and El Paso, Texas, in June 2024. Other filming locations included the city of San Diego and Otay Mesa near the Mexico–United States border. The film was shot on 35 mm film using VistaVision cameras by Michael Bauman, marking his second collaboration with Anderson following Licorice Pizza (2021).
In February 2024, Variety reported that the film had been greenlit with a $115 million production budget. In August 2024, The Wall Street Journal reported the budget to be "more than $140 million", noting that Anderson's highest-grossing film, There Will Be Blood (2007), only made $76 million, but that "Warner executives say DiCaprio's box-office track record justifies the budget for Anderson". That month, sources indicated the film had been titled The Battle of Baktan Cross as rumors circulated that it was loosely inspired by Pynchon's Vineland; Anderson previously adapted Pynchon's Inherent Vice (2009) into a feature film in 2014. By August 2025, Variety reported the film's final budget as $175 million, while Warner Bros. said it cost $130 million. The film is the most costly of Anderson's career.
Beginning in January 2025, the film had multiple test screenings, which reinforced the rumored connection to Vineland. It marked the first time since Boogie Nights (1997) that Anderson agreed to audience testing; based on the feedback, he cut eight to ten minutes. The film's title was confirmed in March, with Warner Bros. debuting a teaser. One Battle After Another marks the sixth feature film collaboration between Anderson and composer Jonny Greenwood, and the sixth and final between Anderson and first assistant director and producer Adam Somner, who died in November 2024; the film is dedicated to Somner.
== Release ==
The film is scheduled to be released on September 26, 2025, following previews from September 24. It will be the first of Anderson's films to be released in IMAX. It was previously set to be released on August 8, 2025, but was moved for a potential awards season run. The film premiered at the TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles on September 8, 2025, and had a global tour beginning in London on September 16, in Mexico City on September 18, and ending in New York City on September 21. The film's first full trailer won a Golden Trailer Award for its score.
== Reception ==
=== Box office ===
In the United States and Canada, One Battle After Another will be released alongside Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie and The Strangers – Chapter 2, and is projected to gross $20–25 million in its opening weekend, as well as an additional and $20 million internationally.
=== Critical response ===
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 98% of 156 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "An epic screwball adventure teeming with awe-inspiring action set pieces, One Battle After Another is Paul Thomas Anderson's most entertaining film yet while also one of his most thematically rich." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 95 out of 100, based on 44 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
== References ==
== External links ==
Official website
One Battle After Another at IMDb
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