Despite the critical acclaim One Battle After Another is projected to cost Warner Bros. $100 Million in loss

It appears that One Battle After Another, despite its raving critical and audience response, is struggling on the commercial front. As per Variety, it is predicted to cost Warner Bros. a loss of a whopping $100 m,illion.

Helmed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor, Sean Penn, Chase Infiniti, Benicio del Toro, and many others. It follows the plot of how a father and daughter pair face a dire situation posed by an old political enemy.

Keep reading to find out more about the financial situation of One Battle After Another, as well as the projected loss of Warner Bros.

Here's why One Battle After Another is projected to cost Warner Bros. $100 million in loss

Upon its release on 26th September 2025, One Battle After Another garnered an impressive rating of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. Its CinemaScore is also great, fetching a straight 'A.'

In fact, this is the first film by the director to have garnered more than $100 million at the box office, having gathered a worldwide collection of $140,948,942, as recorded by Box Office Mojo. So, despite all of these reasons, why is Warner Bros. studio projected to face a loss of $100 million?

As per Variety, it is reported that the studio has invested more than $130 million in its production costs, and added another $70 million for its publicity. So, to achieve its break-even point, the film needs to make around $300 million. All the capital generated from the ticket sales is bifurcated between the film studio and the cinema operators. In such a situation, the possibility of achieving its break-even amount looks inconceivable.

As per the outlet, it is also reported that the lead star of One Battle After Another, Leonardo DiCaprio, like in his usual films, shall routinely receive a percentage directly from the box-office revenue of this film as well. It is known as first-dollar gross.

This is certainly an unfortunate situation. But we also must give credit to One Battle After Another for its profound box office performance, despite it being an R-rated film, its long run-time spanning almost three hours, and also, it is an original feature.

However, here are the observations of Shawn Robbins, the box-office analyst of Fandango, that can give us some insights to help us understand the situation. As per the outlet, this is what Robbins states:

“These prestige-type movies have failed to create a sense of FOMO among audiences. They weren’t event-ized enough.”

Furthermore, he also makes a crucial point about the transition that has taken place in cinema-watching over the years. It is well-known that, ever since films have started to be widely showcased on streaming platforms, the anticipation for experiencing films in theatres has significantly diminished over the years. Barring a few exceptions, such as the VFX-laden, weighty superhero films or the sci-fi IMAX releases.

After the release of a film in theatres, it is common knowledge within audiences that the film is soon coming to their private screens as well. As Shawn Robbins mentions:

“People have come to expect these movies to be available in the home much sooner than they used to be."

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Also read: The original ending for One Battle After Another was supposed to be different

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