One Battle After Another North America Box Office: Leonardo DiCaprio’s Political Thriller Stronger In Its 2nd Weekend Than His Last Flop Killers Of The Flower Moon?
Leonardo DiCaprio’s One Battle After Another earns over $100 million worldwide but faces a steep road to profitability despite strong reviews.
One Battle After Another North America Box Office (Photo Credit – Instagram/Prime Video)
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Leonardo DiCaprio’s latest film, One Battle After Another, managed to cross the $100 million mark worldwide within a little over a week of release. The political thriller, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, has received strong reviews from critics and audiences; however, its box office performance suggests that the movie may not generate enough revenue to turn a profit.
Now, this situation feels similar to Leonardo DiCaprio’s last film, Killers of the Flower Moon, from 2023, which followed a similar path and was also praised for its brilliance, yet failed to perform commercially.
One Battle After Another Box Office Numbers Show A Slowing Momentum
At present, One Battle After Another holds steady at the top of the daily and weekend charts, ranking between the first and second spots. However, the numbers suggest that the film’s position may soon slip. In North America, as per Box Office Mojo, the movie earned $42.7 million, which is far from impressive, especially considering that nearly 58% of its total revenue has come from international markets.
The international audience appears to be more drawn to the film than the domestic crowd, having grossed $21.7 million on its second weekend overseas from 71 markets. However, even this achievement is not enough to rescue its overall earnings.
One Battle After Another Concerns For Long-Term Earnings
In North America, the movie opened with $22 million during its first weekend, which is a solid start on paper, but by the second weekend, the collections dropped by almost half, bringing in only about $11.1 million. Since its release, One Battle After Another has been bringing in over $1 million daily from domestic theaters. However, with its budget estimated between $130 million and $175 million, the current pace clearly signals trouble. The steady but low returns will not be able to cover the massive production and marketing expenses, and the film is already showing signs of heading towards a financial loss.
One Battle After Another Weekend Comparison With Killers Of The Flower Moon
A comparison with Killers of the Flower Moon reveals an almost identical pattern. Martin Scorsese’s movie had a stronger opening weekend of $23 million but dropped to $9.3 million in its second weekend. The daily earnings of both films have followed nearly the same pattern, which points to the possibility that DiCaprio’s latest release might also see its daily domestic earnings dip below the $1 million mark soon.
To break even, One Battle After Another would need to earn at least $350 million globally. Current projections, however, indicate a total of only $185 million to $215 million by the end of its run. Now, even though this is Paul Thomas Anderson’s highest-grossing film to date, it still falls short of profitability, and it shows that the director’s artistic vision and DiCaprio’s star power are not enough to compensate for the box office gap.
Leonardo DiCaprio’s Streak of Critically Acclaimed But Unprofitable Films Likely to Continue
Killers of the Flower Moon earned only $158 million on a production budget exceeding $200 million, turning into one of Scorsese’s most expensive commercial failures.
Killers of the Flower Moon Box Office Summary
North America – $68m
International – $90.7m
Worldwide– $158.7m
Both films share an unusual fate. They are original and ambitious projects, carried by strong direction and powerful performances, but that artistic strength has not converted into financial success.
DiCaprio’s collaboration with Paul Thomas Anderson was long-awaited by fans, just as his pairing with Robert De Niro in Killers of the Flower Moon had generated major anticipation. But, despite these dream collaborations, neither project managed to attract enough audience interest to match their scale.
Changing Audience Taste Is Hurting Original & Artistic Films
The underwhelming performance of One Battle After Another also reflects a larger concern about the current state of cinema. The original and character-driven stories, no matter how well-crafted, often struggle to compete against massive studio-backed superhero and franchise films that dominate modern box office charts.
So, while Anderson’s movie has crossed the $100 million milestone and gained admiration for its storytelling and performances, the numbers leave little room for optimism. Finally, as things stand, One Battle After Another seems set to follow the same outcome as Killers of the Flower Moon, turning into DiCaprio’s second consecutive box office failure despite critical acclaim. The film’s worldwide earnings may continue to climb slowly, but not enough to reach the profitability mark.
