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

Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another is a thrilling story about revolutionaries, freedom and the politics of our society. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead, along with Teyana Taylor, Sean Penn, Benecio del Toro and Chase Infiniti, the film tells the story of a father-daughter duo who are chased by his past as cruel revelations unravel.

One of the most striking things about it's premise is it's ending, and what it means for the characters of the film. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Anderson and DiCaprio revealed how the ending fans got to watch was not the actual way the film was supposed to end. One Battle After Another apparently had a darker ending, which was changed later on as it didn't really sit well.

Speaking to the outlet, Anderson says,

"There was the sense that the film might have gone in a darker direction, and it didn’t sit well with either of us. And then when Benicio came in, and I saw how their characters interacted, it was like, there’s another option here. It felt better. It made more sense."

Still from One Battle after Another (Image via YouTube @/Warner Bros.)

He then adds how the ending took shape as they explored the story further, especially for Chase's character Willa, who became the backbone of the film. Talking about the premise of the ending, Anderson continues,

Coming up with the situation for Willa, where she is finally able to take agency over a situation — to turn the tables, be the aggressor, take the high ground — this became very exciting to us. Then the next part is simply: Who kills who, and how? Somebody’s gotta shoot somebody else, and somebody’s gotta get outta there! [Laughs.] Through the scouting and rehearsing, we really discovered that the biggest moment was Chase being put into the position of having to pay for the sins of her mom and her dad."

More details about One Battle After Another

One Battle After Another is loosely based on Thomas Pynchon's 1990 novel Vineland, as the film explores the story of a man, Pat Calhoun, as he raises his daughter with his ex partner Perfidia Beverly Hills alone. Both of them were a part of a revolutionary group called the French 75 where they met and fell in love. Sometime around that time, Perfidia had a sexual encounter with a racist military officer Steven Lockjaw, whom she eventually ends up teaming up with in exchange for clemency.

Although she eventually runs away, Lockjaw hunts down members of the French 75, but his prime target is Willa, who is Pat and Perfidia's daughter. Soon enough the story unravels secrets and missions, and a plot that emphasizes freedom, and the political state of the world.

One Battle After Another is the second biggest film of Anderson's career, and has opened to positive reviews. It is being hailed as one of the year's must-watch films, that definitely deserves your attention and time, thanks to Anderson's direction and a stunning cast.