Despite his aversion to IP and franchises, Leaondo DiCaprio is one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. He’s spent decades as a certifiable draw ever since тιтanic‘s $2.2 billion gross, navigating the transition from teenage heartthrob to consistent Oscar contender.

A key part of DiCaprio’s consistent success is working with some of the biggest directors in the business. Collaborations with Baz Luhrmann, Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan, Steven Spielberg, Edward Zwick, and Alejandro González Iñárritu have brought him 13 movies that made over $100 million worldwide.

His star appeal has not waned in recent years, even as he has become more selective with his material, having made only four movies in the last decade. One Battle After Another is his latest, a pairing with one of cinema’s finest creators: Paul Thomas Anderson.

The movie, which comes out on September 26, is a big bet from Warner Bros., as the studio gave the nearly 3-hour action/comedy a high $115 million budget. Its box office prospects were questioned from that moment, even with it getting an IMAX release. Now the film has the unexpected “pressure” to continue the studio’s recent winning ways.

One Battle After Another Arrives Amid Warner Bros.’ Record $40 Million Opening Streak

Warner Bros.’ 2025 movie slate was full of question marks heading into the year, with reports even circulating (via THR) that David Zaslav, CEO and President of Warner Bros. Discovery, was looking for replacements for Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca, Co-Chairs and CEOs of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group.

The results have been unprecedented. WB is currently riding the high of having a record seven consecutive movies open to over $40 million at the domestic box office. This incredible run began in March with A Minecraft Movie‘s $162 million opening. WB became the first studio with six consecutive $40M+ openings thanks to Weapons‘ overperformance, earning $43.5 million.

In between those two тιтles, WB saw Sinners ($48 million), Final Destination: Bloodlines ($51.6 million), F1: The Movie ($57 million), and Superman ($125 million) surge. All of those тιтles exceeded box office projections, as did Minecraft and Weapons.

Warner Bros. has extended its streak to seven after The Conjuring: Last Rites‘ opening weekend box office, which set a franchise record with $83 million domestically. This was nearly double the projections that industry tracking suggested. And now that WB has seven straight $40M openers, they’ll look to make it eight.

That’s where One Battle After Another comes into play. It is the studio’s next release and has the star-power, budget, and wide release – aided by premium IMAX screens – to suggest hope for a bigger opening weekend. WB’s streak now rests on DiCaprio helping deliver a $40M+ opening weekend.

How Likely Is It For One Battle After Another To Open Above $40 Million?

The box office potential of One Battle After Another could look rather good on paper. Any movie hoping for a solid opening weekend needs a star or genre that audiences consistently turn out for. DiCaprio has $7 billion in box office receipts, and he even got Scorsese’s 3-plus-hour gangster drama Killers of the Flower Moon to open at $23 million two years ago.

Yet, that also outlines a key variable. DiCaprio is a major box office star, but his movies often benefit from strong legs rather than have huge openings. He’s only had four movies open above $40 million: Inception ($62M), The Great Gatsby ($50M), Once Upon a Time in Hollywood ($41M), and Shutter Island ($41M).

It’s also worth noting that Paul Thomas Anderson, while a favorite with critics, is not known for delivering movies with strong box office returns. His highest-grossing movie, There Will Be Blood, topped out at $77 million worldwide. Despite how many of his movies are loved, they’re never top-earners at the box office.

That’s not a knock on Anderson, though, and it may not matter much here. His previous movies were never envisioned as ones that would make $40 million in an opening weekend. They were more arthouse films geared towards awards contention, and they mostly found success in that realm.

One Battle After Another is the first time Anderson has made a big-budget movie that seemingly is designed for wider audience appeal. If this catches the attention of older male audiences (which is surely its target demographic), then there is a path to success.

Making over $40 million in the opening weekend would still go down as a surprise. Box Office Pro and Box Office Theory both have early projections for the film in the $15M-$25M range. It won’t be surprising if the trades and Warner Bros. forecast a lower figure to start.

It’s admittedly somewhat difficult to imagine One Battle After Another extending WB’s $40 million opening streak. Yet, the studio has proven time and time again this year that its movies should not be underestimated. They are clearly doing something right to connect with audiences and get them to see each in theaters.

With the marketing blitz surely about to pick up and the expected influx of rave reviews for Anderson and DiCaprio’s collaboration, perhaps that is where Warner Bros. will start getting the general public excited for One Battle After Another. I’m not counting on a $40+ million opening at this point, but I won’t be surprised if it hits that mark at this point either.