Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
“The collaboration is the best part of making a movie,” says Paul Thomas Anderson, writer/director/producer of “One Battle After Another,” which, as of this writing, has a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has garnered Oscar buzz. “The camaraderie that you feel with the people that you’re collaborating with, the trust that you put in them, the way you admire and hold each other up when you’re tired or need support. It’s a team sport for sure, and I’m surrounded by people who I just love, that is a family. It’s the foundation of everything.”
“One Battle After Another” tells the story of a washed-up revolutionary (Leonardo DiCaprio) who exists in a state of stoned paranoia, surviving off-grid with his spirited, self-reliant daughter, Willa (Chase Infiniti). When his evil nemesis (Sean Penn) resurfaces after 16 years and she goes missing, the former radical scrambles to find her, father and daughter both battling the consequences of his past.
Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/-Q_8SHbon64?si=PZLd-mQ4CcwO0pSX
The cast of “One Battle After Another” – an all-star ensemble that includes DiCaprio, Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor and Infiniti – also have nothing but praise for the BAFTA-winning director. “I always love the worlds that Paul creates, I love the characters, I love how stories converge,” says Hall, whose portrayal of Deandra in the film has become an early Oscar favorite. “And I love his storytelling through the way he uses the camera. His filmmaking is equally a part of the storytelling. So I was just really excited to be a part of anything that he worked on, and with such an incredible cast.”
Producer Sara Murphy was also impressed by the film’s talented cast. “I think the comedy in Leo’s character comes from him having to sort of step outside of himself,” says Murphy. “He is a little bit settled in his ways and a little bit slower than his feet need him to be, in a way that he’s going to have to shake off in order to actually proceed. Also, his interactions along the way take him on an odyssey of sorts, in terms of how people are going to help him and influence him, so Leo had an opportunity for incredible physical comedy in this.”
“I think this character, Lockjaw, is particularly bonkers, and Sean does not hold back,” Murphy shares. “I think it’s one of the greatest characters I’ve ever seen him play, and I’m the biggest Sean Penn fan of all time. He just really goes for it, but also delivers deep humanity at the same time as being an incredible villain.”
“I think Benicio is the coolest guy in the room, I think that’s what he brings to the party,” says Murphy of Del Toro, who plays Bob and Willa’s Sensei. “Obviously he has a long standing relationship with Paul, and they developed that character together a little bit on the ground.”
“Regina Hall’s character, Deandra, is sort of the rock for everyone throughout the film,” says Murphy. “She is loyal, she’s steady, she’s dependable. She’s right all of the time. And Regina Hall is an incredible actor. We’ve mostly seen her do comedic roles, but I think she brings stability to the movie as Deandra. I love seeing her in a more dramatic role because she can really carry it, and she carries a lot in this particular movie.”
“Perfidia Beverly Hills is played by Teyana Taylor very deliciously,” says Hall. “[My character] Deandra and Perfidia are close, and Perfidia lives in the moment. She’s complex and impassioned and is the strength and the rebellion of the French 75.”
“I’m so excited for everyone to get to see Chase Infiniti’s performance, she’s every bit delightful,” Hall shares about newcomer Infiniti. “She really showed up from day one, and it wasn’t easy. She has some rough scenes, some rough days, some rough shooting. But she was always just going with the flow and amazing. I can’t imagine my first film – my first movie ever – being with Sean Penn, Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio Del Toro, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, and I just show up. That’s impressive.”
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents A Ghoulardi Film Company Production, A Paul Thomas Anderson Film, “One Battle After Another.” Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, the film is now showing only in cinemas. #OneBattleAfterAnother