Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film, One Battle After Another, is looking to easily take the No. 1 spot at the weekend box office with an estimated $20 million plus opening in North America, after earning $8.8 million on Friday, including previews.
One Battle, which cost a reported $130 million, 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 opening in over 3,500 theaters and 7,000 screens, and is being presented in several premium formats, including 70mm, IMAX 70mm, IMAX Digital and VistaVision (albeit on four screens). Internationally, it is opening in over 70 territories, including France, Italy and the U.K.
With its estimated opening, One Battle would be director Anderson’s biggest opening weekend in a career that has spanned 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). Fellow Warners title The Conjuring: Last Rites, now in its fourth weekend, earned $1.9 million on Friday, bringing its domestic cume to $156.5 million with a global total that now sits at $421 million.
Also opening this weekend is Universal and DreamWorks’ kid offering Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie, which earned $4.3 million on Friday (including previews) and is tracking to earn $13.6 million. The movie is based on the popular streaming animated children’s series and stars Laila Lockhart Kraner, reprising her role from the series, Gloria Estefan and Kristen Wiig.
Elsewhere, Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures’ Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle, which had a record-setting U.S. opening of $70 million, made $1.8 million on Friday from 2984 locations, bringing its domestic total to nearly $117.9 million.