Hyderabad: At the 98th Academy Awards, Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another won Best Picture and became one of the biggest winners of the night. The film took home six Oscars, including Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for Anderson, and Best Supporting Actor for Sean Penn. It was a huge moment for the filmmaker, who had received many Oscar nominations before but had never won.
The Shocking Box Office Reality
Even with star power, strong reviews, and Oscar success, One Battle After Another struggled badly at the box office. Reports say the film had a production budget of Rs. 1,202.5 crore (130 million USD) to Rs. 1,618.7 crore (175 million USD). On top of that, Warner Bros reportedly spent around Rs. 647.5 crore (70 million USD) on promotion.
The film has earned about Rs. 1,852.7 crore (200.3 million USD) worldwide, with Rs. 649.3 crore (70.2 million USD) from North America and Rs. 1,203.4 crore (130.1 million USD) internationally. While that may sound decent for an original, R-rated, nearly three-hour film, it was still not enough.
Industry estimates suggest the movie needed around Rs. 2,775 crore (300 million USD) to break even, because studios do not keep all ticket sales. A large share goes to theatres, and DiCaprio reportedly also gets a percentage of box office revenue. Because of this, the film is now said to be heading toward a loss of around Rs. 925 crore (100 million USD).
A Big Winner at the Oscars
The film was praised as a bold and unusual story about political resistance. It starred Leonardo DiCaprio as a former revolutionary turned single father. The movie also helped Warner Bros dominate the awards night. Anderson said the film was written with his children in mind, hoping the next generation would bring “common sense and decency” to the world.
The same night, Sinners also had a strong run. Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor, and Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history as the first woman and first Black cinematographer to win the Oscar for cinematography.
Oscar Success, Financial Disappointment
That is what makes this story so interesting. The film that won Hollywood’s biggest prize also became one of the year’s biggest financial disappointments. One Battle After Another may be a critical and awards triumph, but for its production house, it looks like a costly victory.
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