*Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” is shaping up to be one of the year’s biggest financial disappointments, according to Variety.
Despite earning $140 million globally, the film’s enormous $300 million break-even threshold could leave Warner Bros. with losses approaching $100 million. The studio spent more than $130 million to produce the film and an additional $70 million on marketing, with ticket revenues split between the studios and theaters.
Featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Chase Infiniti, the film is loosely adapted from Thomas Pynchon’s “Vineland.” Its story follows a group of ex-revolutionaries whose past resurfaces when an old foe reappears. Though hailed as a masterpiece, “One Battle After Another” has struggled to draw audiences to theaters.
Warner Bros. disputes the notion of financial trouble, stating, “Warner Bros. refutes Variety’s anonymous sources and their uninformed estimates. Films across the studio’s slate, including ‘One Battle After Another,’ have achieved financial reward in 2025 with more than $4 billion earned to date.” That figure represents box office revenue, not profit, but the studio still benefits from hits like “The Conjuring: Last Rites” even as losses mount from other titles.
Scroll to continue reading
Meanwhile, A24’s “The Smashing Machine” — starring Dwayne Johnson as MMA fighter Mark Kerr — failed to find traction. The $50 million sports biopic “died pretty quickly,” according to Virginia theater owner Mark O’Meara. Its box office collapse underscores the risks of A24’s shift toward higher-budget projects, such as December’s upcoming “Marty Supreme.”
Channing Tatum’s “Roofman” and Jennifer Lopez’s “Kiss of the Spider Woman” also underperformed, reflecting broader struggles for adult-oriented films. “These prestige-type movies have failed to create a sense of FOMO among audiences,” says Fandango analyst Shawn Robbins, citing shorter theatrical windows and the audience habit of waiting for streaming releases.
Despite the rough market, analysts like Eric Wold of Texas Capital Securities stress the need for variety: “Consumers go to the theater a few times a year at most. They gravitate towards what they know; sequels, prequels and spinoffs where they’re less likely to walk away disappointed.”
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Thrilling Trailer for ‘One Battle After Another’ Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Teyana Taylor Drops | Watch
Sign up for our Free daily newsletter HERE.
