Record-Breaking Warner Bros. Box Office Streak Ends This Weekend (but There’s Still Good News)

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As a film fan, early 2025 looked pretty shaky for Warner Bros. After the underwhelming reception to *Joker: Folie à Deux*, and a lot of question marks hanging over their upcoming releases, things started really rough. Films like *The Alto Knights* and *Mickey 17* just didn’t connect with audiences. But then, something amazing happened! It all turned around with *A Minecraft Movie* in April, and WB went on an incredible run – seven movies in a row opening to over $40 million domestically. No other studio has *ever* done that! Everyone was wondering if Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest, *One Battle After Another*, could keep the momentum going. It didn’t quite hit that mark, but honestly, there’s still a lot to be excited about for Warner Bros.

As reported by *Deadline*, *One Battle After Another* earned $22.4 million in the U.S. during its opening weekend and $48.5 million worldwide. Though lower than other Warner Bros. successes this year, this is the biggest opening weekend of director Anderson’s career. Now, the focus shifts to whether the movie can earn back its $130-140 million production cost.

Can One Battle After Another Have Legs at the Box Office?

I always knew this project was a bit of a gamble, even with Paul Thomas Anderson directing and Leonardo DiCaprio starring – talk about a fantastic team! While Anderson is a favorite among film lovers like me, he hasn’t always been a huge box office draw. His biggest hit, *There Will Be Blood*, made $77.1 million worldwide, and we’re hoping *One Battle After Another* will surpass that soon. It’s different from someone like Christopher Nolan, who can get massive crowds to see a three-hour movie about, well, the inventor of the atomic bomb! Anderson’s films are amazing, but they usually don’t make quite the same splash commercially.

Despite a competitive release week, there are positive indicators that *One Battle After Another* will remain popular with audiences. It received an “A” rating from CinemaScore, showing that general viewers enjoyed it as much as critics did. This positive word-of-mouth should help the film perform well in the coming weeks. The film is also gaining traction as a potential awards contender, which will likely attract even more viewers. Warner Bros. plans to keep *One Battle After Another* in theaters for an extended run, unlike many new releases that quickly move to home viewing. Currently, there’s no announced date for when the film will be available on demand or through streaming services.

Okay, so “One Battle After Another” isn’t exactly walking into an empty theater. Next week brings some stiff competition with the release of “The Smashing Machine” – starring Dwayne Johnson, no less – plus genre flicks like “Tron: Ares” and “Black Phone 2” are all fighting for audiences. Thankfully, it looks like “One Battle After Another” will hold onto those premium screens for another week before “Tron” arrives. It’s going to be a tough climb to profitability, but if audiences really connect with the film and spread the word – and Warner Bros. is clearly counting on that – I think it has a real shot at breaking even.

Even if *One Battle After Another* doesn’t make a lot of money at the box office, it won’t be a major setback. Its chances of winning awards aren’t tied to commercial success, as industry insiders have been praising the film for weeks. Warner Bros. is also in a strong financial position. They’ve already made a profit this year with successful films like *Sinners* and *Superman*, giving them the confidence to delay *Mortal Kombat II* until 2026. This means the studio wasn’t depending on *One Battle After Another* to turn things around.

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2025-09-28 19:41