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The Best Action Movie of the Year Might Lose $100 Million — But That Shouldn’t Matter

The Best Action Movie of the Year Might Lose 0 Million — But That Shouldn’t Matter

One Battle After Another is one of the most talked-about movies of 2025, but some people don’t seem to care about the quality of the movie, but rather how much money it makes. Paul Thomas Anderson’s big-budget action debut received rave reviews when it opened in theaters in September, earning a 95% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and an A CinemaScore from audiences. The ambitious endeavor from the acclaimed filmmaker was always going to be a gamble for Warner Bros., which has been having an incredible year at the box office. That said, it is reportedly going to lose a surprising amount of money for the studio.

Variety reports that One Battle After Another will be a box office disappointment for Warner Bros, potentially losing the studio $100 million. This major loss comes from unnamed studio executives who Variety notes have “knowledge of the economics of similar-sized films.” One Battle After Another has so far grossed $140 million worldwide, becoming director Paul Thomas Anderson’s highest-grossing film and an impressive accomplishment for a three-hour R-rated movie. However, Warner Bros. spent $130 million to produce the film and $70 million to market.

When combined with the 50-50 split between studios and theater operators and Leonardo DiCaprio’s first dollar gross on the movie, One Battle After Another needs to make $300 million to break even. Warner Bros. pushes back on this estimate, as a studio spokesperson said in a statement to Variety:

“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.”

Why Do So Many People Care About ‘One Battle After Another’s Box Office?

Warner Bros. Pictures

Despite One Battle After Another failing to meet box office expectations, Warner Bros. will be fine in the long run. Their streak of box office hits like A Minecraft Movie, Sinners, Final Destination: Bloodlines, Superman, Weapons, and The Conjuring: Last Rites can more than cover what was lost on One Battle After Another. As the studio noted, it has made $4 billion in 2025 alone and had eight movies in a row open at number one at the box office, including One Battle After Another. Part of the reason studios make tentpoles like A Minecraft Movie and Superman is so they can take chances on non-IP director-driven films like Sinners and One Battle After Another.

While One Battle After Another losing $100 million for Warner Bros. might be seen as a bad sign for some, most moviegoers shouldn’t really care in this specific case. It isn’t like One Battle After Another needed to make money to justify a sequel. What is important is the quality of the film itself and whether the people enjoyed it. WB took a chance, and audiences were rewarded with what will likely go down as not only one of the best movies of the year, but one of the best of the decade.

In the end, One Battle After Another is a long-term investment. Even if it doesn’t make money in the theatrical window, it will generate positive word of mouth that could translate into sales for paid video on demand and high streaming numbers for HBO Max. The movie’s positive buzz will likely extend into the Academy Awards, as One Battle After Another has already become the Best Picture frontrunner. The studio likely won’t mind investing that money if it wins them awards in the most coveted categories.


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Release Date

September 26, 2025

Runtime

162 minutes

Producers

Adam Somner



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