Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio took the spotlight at CinemaCon to talk about his next film, One Battle After Another, a high-profile project from acclaimed director Paul Thomas Anderson. Speaking during the event, on Tuesday, Leonardo expressed his long-standing admiration for Paul, marking this as their first time working together on a feature film.
“I’ve been wanting to work for Paul for over 20 years now,” he shared, praising the director’s distinctive style. He further noted that Paul’s latest film taps into significant political and cultural undercurrents, making it especially relevant.
Leonardo highlighted the creative freedom the cast experienced during filming, emphasizing Paul’s approach to working with actors. “His ability to work with actors is so unique and bar none,” he said.
During the presentation, Warner Bros. unveiled exclusive footage, which included a tense scene featuring Leonardo’s character in a heated phone conversation. In the clip, his character delivers a shocking line: “I’m a drug and alcohol lover. I will hunt you down and stick a loaded piece of dynamite in your f****ng a**hole.”
The black comedy is slated for a theatrical release on September 26, following a recent shift from its original August 8 release date. Starring alongside Leonardo are Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, and Chase Infiniti. The story follows a group of former revolutionaries who reunite to help one of their own, Bob Ferguson (played by Leonardo), search for his missing daughter.
Paul not only directed the film but also wrote the screenplay and serves as a producer along with Sara Murphy and Adam Somner. One Battle After Another is believed to be inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel Vineland and comes with a production budget exceeding $130 million.