The war drums are pounding, the streets are burning, and one man is chasing both truth and bloodline – Paul Thomas Anderson’s upcoming epic One Battle After Another just unveiled its first official trailer-and it’s already generating the kind of cinematic buzz that feels downright combustible.
Set for a September 26 theatrical release, the film stars a staggering ensemble cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and rising talent Chase Infiniti. It’s an all-out emotional siege, wrapped in wartime grit and Anderson’s signature slow-burn intensity.
The Plot: A Father. A Revolution. And No Room for Fear.
At the core of the film is Bob Ferguson (DiCaprio)-a man torn between the rubble of a broken world and the fire of one last mission: finding his estranged daughter, a revolutionary soldier whose very existence is considered a threat by the collapsing government. Think Children of Men meets Apocalypse Now, with a pulse straight out of The Master.
The trailer’s most haunting refrain?
“Courage, Bob.”
Two words whispered like a mantra-and delivered like a dare.
A World on Fire-and On Film
What’s immediately clear from the trailer is Anderson’s full command of scope. Sweeping dystopian skylines blend into gritty ground-level firefights. Crumbling cities, overrun refugee camps, shadowy interrogation rooms, and midnight missions all blend into a brutal portrait of collapse. It’s World War 3-adjacent, but with an emotional core so raw it’s impossible to look away.
Star Power Meets Soul Punches
This isn’t just a testosterone-heavy war epic. Regina Hall plays a cunning political informant with unclear loyalties. Benicio Del Toro brings chaotic menace as a rogue general with his own vendetta. Sean Penn is a journalist-turned-conspirator unraveling the world with every broadcast. And Teyana Taylor? She’s giving lethal, electric energy in a role that’s already being whispered about in awards circles.
And then there’s Chase Infiniti-newcomer, breakout, battlefield ghost-playing the daughter at the heart of the chaos. If the trailer is any clue, this is a star-making performance.
Mood: Heavy. Dialogue: Unforgiving. Stakes: Existential.
“No fear.”
“She’s not just a soldier. She’s a spark.”
“History doesn’t remember men like Bob. But maybe it should.”
The trailer doesn’t hold back. It’s urgent, operatic, and, yes-devastating. Anderson seems to be leaning into larger-than-life themes with surgical precision: What do we fight for? Who do we leave behind? And what survives after everything else burns?
What We Know So Far:
- Release Date: September 26, 2025 (theatrical only)
- Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
- Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti
- Themes: Revolution, family, courage, dystopia, legacy
- Setting: A near-future world fractured by war and political collapse
- Tone: Epic, dark, intimate, explosive
A Bold Turn for Anderson-and Awards Season Bait?
One Battle After Another marks Anderson’s most political and explosive work to date. While the director has never shied from emotional complexity (There Will Be Blood, Magnolia, Licorice Pizza), this is his first dive into large-scale war drama. And the industry’s watching closely.
Could this be his Schindler’s List moment? Or his Children of Men–style cult classic? Either way, expect One Battle After Another to dominate the fall awards conversation-and ignite no small amount of political debate along the way.
Watch the Trailer
Prepare for impact. September 26. Only in theaters.
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