One Battle After Another

One Battle After Another is an upcoming American action thriller film written, produced, and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Chase Infiniti in her film debut.

One Battle After Another
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Paul Thomas Anderson
Written by	Paul Thomas Anderson
Produced by	Paul Thomas Anderson Adam Somner Sara Murphy
Starring	Leonardo DiCaprio Sean Penn Benicio del Toro Regina Hall Teyana Taylor Chase Infiniti
Cinematography	Michael Bauman Paul Thomas Anderson
Edited by	Andy Jurgensen
Music by	Jonny Greenwood
Production company	Ghoulardi Film Company
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date	September 26, 2025 (2025-09-26)
Running time	161 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$140–175 million[1][2]

One Battle After Another is scheduled to be released in the United States and Canada by Warner Bros. Pictures on September 26, 2025.

Premise

When their evil enemy resurfaces after 16 years, a group of ex-revolutionaries reunites to rescue one of their own's daughter.^[3]

Cast

• Leonardo DiCaprio as Bob Ferguson
• Sean Penn as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw
• Benicio del Toro as Sensei Sergio
• Regina Hall as Deandra
• Teyana Taylor as Perfidia Beverly Hills
• Chase Infiniti as Willa Ferguson-Beverly Hills
• Alana Haim
• Wood Harris
• Shayna McHayle
• D. W. Moffett as Bill Desmond

Production

Writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson

In June 2023, Paul Thomas Anderson's next film, rumored to star Regina Hall, Viggo Mortensen, and Joaquin Phoenix, found its home at Warner Bros. Pictures.^[4] In January 2024, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and Hall were confirmed to star.^[5] In February 2024, Alana Haim, Wood Harris, Teyana Taylor, Shayna McHayle, and Chase Infiniti joined the cast.^[6] DiCaprio reportedly received his standard $25 million fee for his involvement.^[7]

Principal photography began in California on January 22, 2024.^[8][9][10] The film, under the working title BC Project, filmed for eleven days across Humboldt County in Arcata, Cutten, Eureka, and Trinidad.^[11] On February 3, production moved to Sacramento, with filming at the Sacramento County Administration Building and Sacramento County Courthouse.^[12] Some controversy was garnered when a homeless encampment was cleared to allow for filming.^[13] 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.^[14][15] The film was shot on 35 mm film using VistaVision cameras by Michael Bauman, marking his second collaboration with Anderson following Licorice Pizza (2021).^[16][17]

In February 2024, Variety reported that the film had been greenlighted with a $115 million production budget.^[18] 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".^[1] That month, sources indicated the film had been titled The Battle of Baktan Cross as rumors circulated that it was loosely inspired by Thomas Pynchon's novel Vineland (1990); Anderson previously adapted Pynchon's Inherent Vice (2009) into a feature film in 2014.^[19][20]

Beginning in January 2025, the film had multiple test screenings, which reinforced the rumored connection to Vineland.^[21] 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.^[22] The film's title was confirmed in March, with Warner Bros. debuting a teaser.^[23][24] In August, Variety reported the film's budget as $175 million.^[2] One Battle After Another marks the sixth feature film collaboration between Anderson and composer Jonny Greenwood,^[25] and the sixth and final between Anderson and first assistant director and producer Adam Somner, who died in November 2024.^[26]

Release

The film is scheduled to be released on September 26, 2025, and will be the first of Anderson's films to be released in IMAX.^[27] It was previously set to be released on August 8, 2025, but was moved for a potential awards season run.^[22][28] According to Variety, the film will need to gross $260–300 million to turn a profit and skipped the film festival circuit to avoid reviews that "might dampen its commercial prospects".^[2][22][29] The film's first full trailer won a Golden Trailer Award for its score.^[30][31]