How Does One Battle After Another Compare To Leonardo DiCaprio’s Last Hit? ( Photo Credit – Instagram )
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One month has passed since Leonardo DiCaprio and Paul Thomas Anderson’s political thriller One Battle After Another hit the big screen on September 24, 2025. The movie arrived with a glow from critics who had been swept away before release.
Many voices in that world even called it one of the finest achievements in recent years. Strong words filled with high expectations created early buzz, raising hopes that the film would draw large crowds and secure a major box office victory. However, things took a different path once the film opened in cinemas.
One Battle After Another Box Office: Low Domestic Opening & Slow Growth
The first weekend brought in only $22 million in North America, a figure that already suggested the journey ahead might not reach the heights everyone had expected. Today, the movie stands at $167.4 million worldwide, per Box Office Mojo. The production cost sits around $175 million, meaning the film has not even matched what was spent to make it.
Leonardo DiCaprio’s global fame did bring people into theatres overseas, where the film has earned a bigger share, but the domestic markets have been far less supportive, accounting for only 37.7% of total earnings so far. That is also a lightweight number for a film that started strong in conversation but slow in ticket sales.
Screen Count Drops For One Battle After Another
One Battle After Another opened wide across 3,634 theatres in North America. The first week of excitement faded quickly, and theatres dropped the title fast. The third weekend took away 507 screens, and the most recent one removed another 595. The film now plays in just over 2,500 venues, and as screens disappear week after week, the revenue continues to shrink without any sign of turning upward.
The weekend performance after release also felt like a slow slide. The second weekend brought in $11 million, followed by $6.8 million, and then $3.8 million during the fourth. Every day, a little more money is added, but the small steps cannot close the gap. Some drops have not been steep, yet low numbers do not help the final result. The fifth weekend is expected to push the movie above the $1 million mark again, although more theaters are expected to drop the film. The gap between cost and earnings continues to widen, making a loss of at least $100 million more and more likely.
Leonardo DiCaprio Faces Another Loss After Killers Of The Flower Moon
This also places DiCaprio in a tough moment for his otherwise strong acting career. It marks a second straight disappointment after Killers of the Flower Moon. That title struggled financially as well, and One Battle After Another passed its worldwide total only a few days ago.
Comparing One Battle After Another To Leonardo DiCaprio’s Last Hit Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
The story appears completely different when set alongside Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. That film, directed by Quentin Tarantino, became a major hit and charmed a wide audience. It earned $377.4 million worldwide with $142.5 million from the domestic market alone. The opening weekend grossed more than $41 million, nearly double what DiCaprio’s latest film had achieved.
Its second weekend pulled in $20 million, the third $11.6 million, and the fourth $7.6 million. Even during the fifth weekend, it gathered more than $5 million. Those figures covered costs and brought comfort to the studio much earlier in the run. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood maintained its strong screen count and audience engagement for weeks longer.
Within just 30 days, it raced ahead and stayed far from any financial worry. One Battle After Another lags every step of the way by comparison. The films currently have a difference of $170 million, in terms of their worldwide collection. The gap tells a clear story about what works and what fails to bring in crowds, even with top-tier talent involved.
It is highly unlikely that One Battle After Another will cross the $300 million mark at the worldwide box office, let alone surpassing Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’s lifetime earnings.
Streaming Might Help One Battle After Another Recover Losses
There is still hope that streaming deals will help One Battle After Another soften the blow. Digital platforms and long-term distribution can return some much-needed money. The box office damage is already done, and that part likely cannot be reversed.
A movie that once stood on towering praise now searches for ways to recover costs little by little in the months ahead. While expectations soared high before the opening, just one month later, One Battle After Another stands as a reminder that critical love and audience turnout inhabit two different worlds.
One Battle After Another Box Office Summary
Domestic – $63.1 million
International – $104.3 million
Worldwide – $167.4 million
Note: Box office numbers are based on estimates and various sources. Numbers have not been independently verified by Koimoi.
All numbers have been retrieved via Box Office Mojo.
