You ever catch yourself chuckling at the ironies of this business? Paul Thomas Anderson—PTA to those of us who’ve quoted Boogie Nights over too many whiskeys—has built a career on films that simmer, unfold, demand your full attention in the dark. Not the kind that explode out of the gate with fireworks and franchise fever. But damn if One Battle After Another didn’t just rewrite that script. Over this past weekend—September 26-28, 2025—the thing stormed theaters like it had something to prove, pulling in $22.4 million domestically and claiming the top spot. It’s the first time one of his pictures has cracked that million-dollar opening barrier without dipping a toe in limited waters first. Weird streak over, just like that.
And yeah, the competition didn’t exactly roll out the red carpet. Ryan Crego’s Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie—that pint-sized Netflix transplant trying to charm its way into multiplexes—landed a respectable but runner-up $13.7 million. Renny Harlin’s The Strangers: Chapter 2? It slunk in at fifth with $5.9 million, another stab at home-invasion chills that feels about as fresh as last year’s leftovers. The full domestic top 10 shakes out like this:
| Title | Weekend Gross | Domestic Total | Last Week | Theaters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. One Battle After Another | $22,400,000 | $22,400,000 | N/A | 3,634 |
| 2. Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie | $13,700,000 | $13,700,000 | N/A | 3,500 |
| 3. Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle | $7,100,000 | $118,176,000 | 1 | 2,984 |
| 4. The Conjuring: Last Rites | $6,860,000 | $161,454,000 | 3 | 3,083 |
| 5. The Strangers: Chapter 2 | $5,900,000 | $5,900,000 | N/A | 2,690 |
| 6. Him | $3,650,000 | $20,794,000 | 2 | 3,168 |
| 7. The Long Walk | $3,400,000 | $28,814,237 | 5 | 2,297 |
| 8. Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale | $3,300,000 | $39,008,000 | 4 | 2,829 |
| 9. A Big Bold Beautiful Journey | $1,250,000 | $5,923,000 | 6 | 3,330 |
| 10. Spider-Man 2 | $1,113,472 | $375,828,527 | N/A | 1,484 |
Numbers courtesy of The Numbers, as always—reliable as a well-timed cut in PTA’s editing bay. What strikes you first? That wide release on 3,634 screens, a bet Warner Bros. made banking on the hype machine. And it paid off. This isn’t some arthouse whisper; it’s a full-throated roar, blending Pynchon’s Vineland sprawl into a cocktail of political thriller, stoner haze, and action beats that somehow doesn’t curdle. Critics are eating it up—92% on Rotten Tomatoes as of Sunday night—and audiences followed, with an A- CinemaScore that screams word-of-mouth potential.
Flash back two years, though, and you wince a little. DiCaprio’s last swing, Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, opened to $9.4 million—buried under Taylor Swift’s concert film juggernaut. Budget: $200 million. Ouch. Here? One Battle After Another clocks in at $130-175 million per Variety’s deep dive, but it’s already PTA’s fourth-biggest domestic earner after three days alone. There Will Be Blood still lords over the list at $40.2 million lifetime, then Boogie Nights ($26.4 million) and Magnolia ($22.5 million). If this keeps legs—and overseas is already at $26.1 million, pushing global to $48.5 million— it might dethrone Daniel Day-Lewis’s oil baron for the crown.
That’s the DiCaprio factor, isn’t it? The guy’s been carrying films since Titanic redefined “event movie,” but pair him with PTA’s restless genius, and you get something that feels alive—framed in those signature wide shots that swallow you whole, colors popping like ’70s Kodachrome gone rogue. The trailer’s a masterclass: that slow-burn zoom on Leo’s weathered face amid the chaos, hinting at the genre mash without spoiling the sprawl. Marketing nailed it—no forced nostalgia, just enough edge to pull the Inherent Vice crowd back in for round two with Pynchon. Studios could learn from this: sometimes, star power plus auteur fire > endless IP reboots.
Still, let’s not kid ourselves. Fall’s a gauntlet—Demon Slayer holding at third with $118 million cumulative shows anime’s grip won’t loosen, and The Conjuring: Last Rites chugging to $161 million reminds us horror’s the evergreen cash cow. Gabby’s Dollhouse? Cute for the tots, but it’ll fade faster than a sugar crash. Harlin’s sequel? Serviceable scares, sure, but in a year stacked with better chills, it’s just another shadow on the wall.
Overseas haul gives me pause, though—$26.1 million already edges domestic, which screams universal appeal despite the “America” baked into the title. If it sustains, we’re talking PTA’s first true breakout, the kind that funds those passion projects he hoards like rare vinyl. Me? I’d kill to see him tackle something even looser next, maybe a straight-up Western redux. But for now, this win feels earned—not handed out like participation trophies.
Box Office Breakdown: Why ‘One Battle After Another’ Dominated
PTA’s Streak Snapped
Anderson’s films always started small—until now. This $22.4 million opener ends decades of limited-release caution, proving wide plays can suit his ambition.
DiCaprio’s Draw Delivers
Leo tops charts again, outpacing Killers of the Flower Moon‘s muted debut. His pairing with PTA echoes Inherent Vice, but with bigger stakes and broader appeal.
Genre Mash Magic
Thriller-comedy-action hybrid from Pynchon’s Vineland fuels buzz. Critics’ raves and an A- CinemaScore signal strong word-of-mouth legs ahead.
Global Gains Early
$26.1 million international already tops U.S. totals. At $48.5 million worldwide, it’s PTA’s quickest path to profitability on a hefty budget.
Competition Takes Hits
Gabby’s Dollhouse grabs second but lacks staying power; Strangers: Chapter 2 underwhelms at fifth. Holdovers like Demon Slayer show anime’s endurance.
What do you make of this shake-up—PTA finally going mainstream, or just Leo magic? Hit the comments, share your opening weekend take, or follow Filmofilia for the next box office pulse. More coming soon.
