Leonardo DiCaprio leads a gripping family chase in Paul Thomas Anderson’s new film, alongside Teyana Taylor and more
Leonardo DiCaprio is back — and this time, it’s personal. In One Battle After Another, hitting cinemas this September 26th, the Oscar-winning actor teams up with auteur Paul Thomas Anderson for what promises to be the director’s most commercial — and adrenaline-fuelled — project to date.
Breaking away from his usual introspective style, Anderson delivers a punchy, fast-paced action drama that centres on Bob Ferguson (DiCaprio), a reclusive, perpetually high father whose life is upended when his daughter Willa (rising star Chase Infiniti) disappears. The man behind her abduction? None other than Bob’s old nemesis Steven Lockjaw, played with ferocity by Sean Penn.
The cast also features Teyana Taylor, Regina Hall and Alana Haim, who reunites with Anderson after Licorice Pizza (2021). Together, they join DiCaprio in a chaotic manhunt that blends dark humour, raw emotion and high-speed thrills — all wrapped in a father-daughter survival tale.
Already earning a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes, the film has drawn praise for its breakneck pace and bold creative pivot. The official trailer, released back in March, teased DiCaprio’s transformation into a reluctant action hero, and the buzz has only grown louder since.
In a recent promo, Teyana Taylor, who performed all her own stunts, quipped: “Did you see me running? That wasn’t a stunt double. When it’s time for the next Mission: Impossible, someone better call me.”
Produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, One Battle After Another will be released in VistaVision, 70mm and IMAX, premiering in UK and global cinemas from 26 September (with international screenings beginning 24 September).
