Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film, One Battle After Another, easily takes the No. 1 spot at the weekend box office with an estimated $22.4 million plus opening in North America in over 3,600 locations. Internationally, it has earned $26.1 million for an expected global cume of $48.5 million.
The film cost a reported $130 million before marketing costs, meaning an opening in the low-$20 million range can easily be seen as disappointing. However, it can also be read as a solid start for an original movie from an auteur director with an R-rating and an almost three-hour runtime. One Battle is also seen as a major awards contender and is likely to generate press and word-of-mouth for many months. The film’s second weekend performance will be a better indicator in terms of its staying power.
One thing is certain: The One Battle box office was buoyed by audiences seeking out premium formats. The film was offered in 70mm, IMAX 70mm, IMAX Digital and VistaVision (albeit on four screens). The movie earned $4.6 million in North America from 412 IMAX screens, or roughly 20 percent of the film’s total domestic ticket sales.
One Battle stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a washed-up and burnt-out revolutionary who is called back into action when his daughter (Chase Infiniti) is kidnapped by his former nemesis (Sean Penn). Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall and Teyana Taylor round out the cast.
The film has opened to universal praise, with One Battle boasting a 95 Metacritic score and an A CinemaScore. The Hollywood Reporter’s review of the film from Richard Lawson reads, “One Battle After Another is a furious film, a richly engaging and persuasive polemic from a filmmaker who has never shied from provocation but who has not before spoken so directly to his audience.”
One Battle is director Anderson’s biggest opening weekend in a career that spans Boogie Nights to Licorice Pizza. Anderson’s There Will Be Blood is his highest-earning title to date, with $40 million in North American ticket sales.
As for Warners, the studio has been on a hot streak as of late, beginning with Minecraft ($957 million, globally), followed by Ryan Coogler’s Sinners ($366 million, globally), and New Line offering Weapons ($264 million, globally).
Coming in at No. 2 at the domestic box office will be the weekend’s other new offering: Universal and DreamWorks’ Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie. The G-rated film, which carries a reported price tag of $32 million, is tracking to earn $13.7 million in its debut.
Gabby’s Dollhouse, a combination of live-action and CG animation, is based on the wildly popular streaming animated children’s series of the same name that debuted in 2021 and has since premiered eleven seasons (the twelfth season is due out in November on Netflix). The film stars Laila Lockhart Kraner, reprising her role from the series, along with Gloria Estefan and Kristen Wiig.
Internationally, the film opened in 37 territories, including Australia and Mexico. It earned $5.6 million for a current global haul of $19.3 million.
Elsewhere, Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures’ Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle, which had a record-setting U.S. opening of $70 million, came in at No. 3, making $7.1 million from 2,984 venues over the weekend. The film’s domestic total sits at $118.1 million after three weeks in theaters.
Warners title The Conjuring: Last Rites, now in its fourth weekend, landed at the No. 4 spot this weekend with $6.9 million in domestic ticket sales, bringing its domestic cume to $161.5 million and $435 million globally.
September 28, 9:06 a.m. Updated with new estimates.
This story was originally published on Sept. 27 at 9:04 a.m.
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