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When we noted that One Battle After Another stands out in Paul Thomas Anderson’s filmography, we didn’t anticipate that general audiences would embrace the film as well. This weekend, One Battle After Another earned a respectable $22.4 million domestically and received an impressive “A” CinemaScore, a first for Anderson in his career.

Many of Anderson’s films did not open widely, which limited their audience polling. Previous films that received scores include Boogie Nights with a C, Magnolia with a C-, and Punch Drunk Love with a D+. The CinemaScore for One Battle After Another is one of the best for Leonardo DiCaprio in decades, with the last better score being an A+ for Titanic. Recent films like Killers of the Flower Moon received an A- and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood got a B.

While an A CinemaScore does not guarantee long-term success, it is crucial for One Battle After Another to thrive. The film’s total of $48.5 million globally, which includes $26.1 million from international markets, slightly exceeds initial projections. However, with a production budget of $130 million before marketing, higher earnings are necessary for profitability.

Financial success is important for filmmakers like Anderson to continue pursuing ambitious projects, and for studios like Warner Bros. to take risks. Warner Bros. has had eight films open at No. 1 at the box office this year, many of which are original titles rather than sequels. It is beneficial for original films featuring major stars, like One Battle After Another, to perform well.

What can be expected for the long-term performance of One Battle After Another? Films such as Weapons, Sinners, and even Once Upon a Time in Hollywood opened in the $40-48 million range, higher than Battle, but it may achieve similar multiples due to positive word of mouth. Sinners has had an impressive multiple of 5.8, while Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Weapons both had multiples just under 3.5.

Comparisons can also be made to past Best Picture winners like Argo, which opened to $19.4 million and ended up with a domestic total of seven times that amount, and The Departed, which opened to $26.8 million and had a multiple of about 5. The closest comparison might be Killers of the Flower Moon, which opened to $23.2 million and ended with a domestic total of $68 million. Killers also earned more than half of its gross internationally, and Battle could see similar ratios.

With even better reviews and audience reactions, One Battle After Another has the potential to outperform expectations. A domestic multiple of 3 could bring its total to around $67 million, and doubling that internationally could yield a global total of $134-140 million, which would still be disappointing given its high budget. The film needs strong word of mouth, similar to Sinners, to justify its costs.

If the film experiences a drop of under 30 percent in its second week, similar to Sinners, it would indicate solid performance. Fortunately, One Battle After Another is expected to retain its premium screens for an extended period. The VistaVision showings will continue in their four locations for about six weeks, maintaining a 70mm footprint without losing too many IMAX screens, although upcoming releases like Avatar: The Way of Water and Tron: Ares may impact this.

Additionally, the film has quickly become a source of memes on social media, and the marketing team at Warner Bros. is encouraging repeat viewings by offering a punch card to track different formats viewers have seen the film in. While the initial trailers may not have effectively conveyed the film’s essence, audiences are likely to appreciate its relevance once more people have the chance to watch it. There is hope that One Battle After Another will resonate with audiences and remain a topic of discussion well beyond the Oscars season.

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