Some eyebrows were raised when Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” skipped Venice, Telluride, and TIFF. It’s still a tad puzzling, but hey— Anderson has been upfront about his dislike of festivals, and that might have been the dealbreaker here.
That said, I can confirm the film will screen for NYC critics next Friday, Sept. 5, with the social media embargo lifting the following Monday at 10 p.m. PST / 1 a.m. EST. The catch? Many of the city’s top critics will be in Toronto for TIFF, likely missing this much-anticipated showing.
I take this as a show of confidence: Warner Bros. is rolling out this $150M+ gamble more than 20 days ahead of release. But why not also hold a press screening at TIFF, where a large contingent of New York critics will already be? It would make perfect sense.