So, it turns out that Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film isn’t cheap.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that PTA’s latest now has a budget of $140M. Original reporting had it costing anywhere between $100-$125 million. Jeff Sneider claimed it might actually be $175M.
Regardless, what an enormous gamble this is given that PTA’s most successful film (2007’s “There Will Be Blood”) only managed to make $76 million worldwide. Sure, this latest one has Leonardo DiCaprio — who is said to have earned $20M to star — and is banking on a Summer 2025 rollout, in IMAX, no less, but it’s turned into the definition of a RISK.
Warner executives are telling WSJ that “DiCaprio’s box-office track record justifies the budget for Anderson’s latest”. The actor has indeed had consistently good box-office, with the exception of last year’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” which only managed a domestic gross of $68M.
This project is being sold as PTA’s most “mainstream” film to date. What we’ve noticed so far from on-set leaks are stunts heavy in action, with lots of car chases and explosions. Although no official title has been announced, it is rumored to be called “The Battle of Baktan Cross.”
It’s not just PTA, WSJ goes on to say that Warner CEO David Zaslav has a bunch of upcoming auteur-driven films with high budgets: Maggie Gyllenhaal’s “The Bride” ($100M), Todd Phillips’ “Joker: Folie a Deux” ($200M), Bong Joon-ho’s “Mickey 17” ($150M), Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” ($100M) and David Robert Mitchells’ “Flowervale Street” ($90M).