It might earn out!...I was so worried about that for Anderson....but his judgment (about stars ) seems right on

[Mark Thibodeau]

If the budget really was $130 million, then the break even point is upwards
of $260 million, not $150 million. A final box office of less than double
the production costs for this would in fact be a freaking disastrous bomb.

Of course, if it takes that in, domestically, the bean counters will still
get to add the international take… which, for a film of this nature - not a
high concept science-fiction, fantasy, superhero flick; not a sequel or
prequel to a previous blockbuster intellectual property; not an adaptation
of an especially “hot” novel or series of novels; with superstar actor Leo
and superstar director PTA’s involvement being the only legitimate draw in
many (not all!) international and overseas markets - expecting to equal the
domestic take would be a case of insanely wishful thinking.

No, I think that ultimately, this is the kind of film that the studio hopes
and suspects will make its bones in the longest of long runs, becoming the
kind of legacy film that will be remembered, talked about, studied
academically and watched repeatedly by a certain type of film buff,
constantly being rediscovered with every new generation, providing a
foundational source for an ever refreshing new crop of memes, tropes,
cliches and maybe even entire sub-genres… always receiving credit for being
an important Ur-text for new and exciting forms of cinematic storytelling
and aesthetic presentation…

Or something.

Love,
Yer Old Pal Jerky, Esq.




On Monday, September 29, 2025, Mark Kohut <mark.kohut at gmail.com> wrote:

> See new posts
> Paul Thomas Anderson's 'One Battle After Another' Posts Record $48.5
> Million Global Debut
> Last updated 3 minutes ago
> Paul Thomas Anderson's 'One Battle After Another,' starring Leonardo
> DiCaprio as a former revolutionary reuniting with allies to rescue his
> daughter from a military officer, earned $48.5 million worldwide in its
> opening weekend, marking the director's largest debut. The Warner Bros.
> film, inspired by Thomas Pynchon's 'Vineland' and blending action, humor,
> and political satire, received a 96% Rotten Tomatoes score from critics and
> an A CinemaScore from audiences, Anderson's highest ever. With a $130
> million budget, the nearly three-hour epic features strong performances
> from Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, and Regina Hall, positioning it for
> potential $150 million worldwide earnings amid positive word-of-mouth.
> This story is a summary of posts on X and may evolve over time. Grok can
> make mistakes, verify its outputs.
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> --
> Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l
>