Warner Bros. just dropped the first teaser for One Battle After Another, the latest film from writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson, and let’s just say—it’s bringing the heat. The star-studded cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Sean Penn, with Anderson returning to the big screen after his 2021 Oscar-nominated Licorice Pizza. The film is set to hit theaters on September 26.
Now, if you thought a teaser couldn’t make a statement, think again. The short clip packs a punch, showing various characters letting off gunfire in an open field. The standout moment? A pregnant Teyana Taylor pulling the trigger on a rifle while DiCaprio sits back, sipping a drink like it’s just another Tuesday. The teaser then fast-forwards to a newborn, followed by a voice asking, “What are you gonna do about this baby?”—before cutting to that same child, now grown, handling a rifle just like her mother. If that’s not a generational cycle in motion, what is?
Anderson is playing this one close to the chest, with the film’s plot still under wraps beyond the confirmation of its “contemporary setting” and ensemble format. But even before this teaser, word on the street was that One Battle After Another is Anderson’s priciest film to date. Early reports suggested a budget upwards of $100 million, with the latest figures reaching $140 million—which is a steep jump from Licorice Pizza’s $40 million price tag (a film that, despite its critical acclaim, struggled to recoup its budget).
Adding to the lineup, Anderson reunites with Licorice Pizza breakout Alana Haim, alongside Benicio del Toro, Wood Harris, Shayna McHayle, and Chase Infiniti. The film was shot in California and El Paso, Texas, using 35 mm VistaVision cameras for that classic Anderson aesthetic.
One Battle After Another also marks Anderson’s sixth team-up with composer Johnny Greenwood and the fifth with his longtime first assistant director Adam Somner, who passed away in november 2024.
Expect a full trailer next week, but for now, check out the teaser below