One Battle After Another is projected for a record-breaking box office opening. Written and directed by the 11-time Oscar nominee Paul Thomas Anderson, loosely based on Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel Vineland, the new movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a washed-up revolutionary who must rescue his teenage daughter after a long-buried enemy returns after 16 years.

With the Oscar-winning Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant) in the lead role, the cast also includes two-time Oscar winner Sean Penn (Mystic River, Milk), Oscar winner Benicio del Toro (Traffic), Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti in her film debut, Alana Haim (Licorice Pizza), The Wire‘s Wood Harris, Paul Grimstad, Dijon Duenas, Tony Goldwyn, D.W. Moffett, and Kevin Tighe.

Now, ahead of its release this weekend, One Battle After Another is projected to pull in $20–25 million domestically and an additional $25 million internationally for a potential worldwide debut of around $50 million on the high end, according to ᴅᴇᴀᴅline. Even if it lands on the lower side, it would still mark Anderson’s biggest box office opening ever, both domestically and globally.

What This Means For One Battle After Another

These projections mean that Warner Bros.’ big bet just might pay off at the box office. The studio shelled out $130 million for the film’s budget, despite that being more than a Paul Thomas Anderson movie has ever made at the box office. There Will Be Blood is his highest-grossing movie at $76 million against its more modest budget of $25 million.

Based on these projections, it seems to be a gamble worth taking. Regardless of its opening numbers, One Battle After Another is primed to pᴀss There Will Be Blood and become Anderson’s highest-grossing film. His movies have traditionally built momentum through gradual rollouts, until now, with One Battle After Another projected to be his biggest opening yet.

Other than Anderson, the biggest thing One Battle After Another has going for it is DiCaprio, who has a proven track record of driving big openings for auteur directors like Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino. If One Battle After Another debuts at $40 million, that would be similar to the opening of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Our Take On One Battle After Another’s Projected Box Office Opening

One Battle After Another‘s reviews have resulted in a near-perfect 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes, representing the highest-rated movie this year by a considerable margin. Now, based on these box office projections, One Battle After Another might have the commercial success to go with its critical acclaim.

Even if One Battle After Another opens to $50 million, the movie will still be a long-term play rather than a quick win. With a budget of $130 million, it will have to make about $325 million to be considered a box office success. With enough buzz and awards season attention, it might just get there.