One Battle After Another is a 2025 action-thriller film from director Paul Thomas Anderson, based on Thomas Pynchon’s novel Vineland.
Anderson directs from his own screenplay.
Insights from Writer/Director / Producer Paul Thomas Anderson on One Battle After Another
“I think Paul has been developing this project for almost 20 years in little bits and pieces,” says producer Sara Murphy. “And obviously, the script has taken different shapes over many years. There was always the inspiration of Thomas Pynchon’s book [Vineland], and I think it also just took on the world around him. It’s kind of the world we lived in 50 years ago, 15 years ago and today and maybe 15 years in the future. But I feel like the reason it remains so timeless is because, at the core of it, it’s really about a father’s love for his daughter and the lengths he’ll go to protect her and save her. And then there’s a lot of chaos and fun around that.”
“Paul Thomas Anderson, more than anything, drew me to this project,” says Leonardo DiCaprio. “To do this film with Paul is very special. I’ve been wanting to work with him for 20-some-odd years now, and to be able to do a film about this subject at this point is very meaningful to me. He’s a filmmaker who as a writer-director, has been such a unique and profound voice of his generation, and is one of the great filmmakers of his time. I’ve known about him ever since I saw Hard Eight many years ago, and we had talks early on about Boogie Nights, so I’ve watched his incredible career blossom. There are so few filmmakers who have an unexpected way of tackling different subjects, and there’s always such mystery and intrigue, the element of the unknown with his characters and his stories, that makes you want to continue watching his work. He brought this film to me—it was something he was working on for many years—and I simply jumped at the opportunity to be able to collaborate with him.”
“It’s not your traditional action film; it’s not something that has CGI or feels manipulated by technology in any way. It’s very bare bones, real cars, real environments and situations that feel tactile. It’s Paul Thomas Anderson’s version of action, which is unique to any other action film that we’re used to seeing. One of the things that I always love in movies, whether it be action or suspense or the resolution of something within a sort of finite world, is when it has your attention from the beginning and it lasts throughout the entirety of the movie. There’s not a second that you can take a breath. And those movies really stand the test of time. And Paul really accomplished that in this movie. You’re on the edge of your seat from beginning to the end.”
More on the character he plays, Bob…
“My character, Bob Ferguson, was based on an amalgamation of different revolutionaries from groups in the late 1960s, which Paul wanted to put in a modern context. What if we had a group of anti-government, anti-establishment, anti-capitalist young people that came into something for the right reasons, but then ended up cannibalising themselves and doing things that they regret? And what happens to the next generation, the offspring of that?
Bob is what I like to call a don’t tread on me, anti-establishment, hippie revolutionary who is paranoid about anything and everything. He doesn’t want to be taxed. He doesn’t want to be monitored. He’s incredibly skeptical of everyone and everything around him. He hides himself off in the middle of the woods and stays home, watches movies like The Battle of Algiers, smokes pot and drinks, but has one objective, and that’s to protect his daughter.
He’s failing at that, until he has to kick into full gear when we see these dark forces from his past come back to get him and the one thing that he’s trying to protect most dearly, his daughter.”
The impact of Anderson’s screenplay
“This script came to me like a gift,” says Sean Penn, who plays Col. Steven J. Loockjaw. “Paul’s a special filmmaker and writer, and has been a friend for a long time. We had talked about working together over the years, and I worked with him briefly on Licorice Pizza, so before I read page one, I sat down with high hopes and the assumption that it was going to be something I was going to want to do. Paul’s such an original, and I read it, and I started laughing at what he was approaching with the story right away. It was the timeliness of it, the freedom with which he wrote (and writes), that was exciting, great characters all the way down the line. It was a page turner.”
“I think sometimes people use the words too freely, whether it’s a film genius or a film great, but I suspect Paul’s a film genius. He has a clear vision, yet you are never anything but free and encouraged on his set to bring your ideas. It’s like he’s got a secret, and he knows you’re going to find the character just as he would hope you to find it. He’s very specific, but he’s really got that gift of appearing effortless in his communication, and you just find yourself trusting him and looking forward to seeing what he does with what you give him.”
What drew Benicio Del Toro to the project?
“Three letters. P T A. When Paul Thomas Anderson calls and says, “I got a script and I got a part that I want you to play.” Before I read it, I was in. Simple as that. Well, first of all, Paul writes a script that is really—it sounds a little cliché—but it’s a page turner. It charges. That script charged, you know? And the characters are well developed. They contradict themselves. They can be funny, and dangerous, and friendly all at the same time. There are a lot of contradictions in his characters, which makes them fun for any actor to play with. And then Paul wants to hear your concerns or your thoughts about the characters. We had several meetings before I showed up in El Paso. We talked about the journey of the character and the relationship between Sensei and Bob. Paul won’t shy away from a good idea; he’d go for it, and he would explore stuff, and eventually change some stuff along the way. He will collaborate, he will encourage, and he creates a safety net that allows actors to take chances.”
Regina Hall’s reaction to the screenplay: “The script covered an incredibly deep subject matter and was so funny. Paul took what normally would be perhaps controversial, one would say, and he managed to bring so much levity and humour, but he didn’t take away from the honesty or the humanity of the characters and the relationships. I was really impressed with how everything kind of aligned in the world, and I could imagine every character. Then, when we actually shot it, it was so much bigger than I imagined, so much bigger and so much better, for lack of a better word, better than I had imagined.”
One Battle After Another was inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel Vineland, a postmodern tale that explores the fallout of radical activism in America.
Director Paul Thomas Anderson has long admired Pynchon’s work. He previously adapted Inherent Vice in 2014, and had expressed interest in Vineland for years, calling it “a great way to translate [Pynchon] into a movie”
The novel centres on a former countercultural activist and his ex-wife, who became a government informant, and the impact of their choices on their daughter. Anderson’s film reimagines this dynamic in a modern setting, focusing on a group of ageing revolutionaries pulled back into conflict when a long-dormant enemy resurfaces. Thematically, it delves into disillusionment, loyalty, and the cost of resistance—echoing Pynchon’s labyrinthine storytelling while adding Anderson’s signature emotional depth and visual flair.
Paul Thomas Anderson adapted Thomas Pynchon’s notoriously “unfilmable” style by embracing its complexity and translating its spirit into cinematic form.
Rather than simplifying the narrative of Vineland, he leaned into Pynchon’s sprawling plotlines, surreal humour, and paranoid energy, crafting a richly atmospheric experience that mirrors the density of the novel.
Anderson prioritised tone over linear storytelling, using ambient sound, hazy visuals, and dreamlike pacing to evoke the novel’s hallucinatory vibe.
He also preserved the chaotic structure and incorporated voiceovers that echo Pynchon’s language, often pulling lines directly from the book.
Casting emotionally resonant actors like Leonardo DiCaprio helped anchor the eccentric characters in human vulnerability, while stylised cinematography and the use of 35mm VistaVision allowed Anderson to match Pynchon’s layered prose with equally rich and textured visuals.
The result is less a literal adaptation and more a cinematic interpretation of Pynchon’s ethos—chaotic, satirical, and deeply reflective.
With political satire woven into high-octane action, the film explores themes of redemption, legacy, and resistance. Shot on 35mm VistaVision and marking Anderson’s IMAX debut, it promises to be his most ambitious and emotionally charged project yet.
Paul Thomas Anderson, born on June 26, 1970, in Studio City, California, is an acclaimed American filmmaker known for his richly textured, character-driven dramas. Raised in the San Fernando Valley, Anderson began making films at a young age and never considered an alternative career. He made his directorial debut with Hard Eight (1996), but gained widespread recognition with Boogie Nights (1997), a vibrant exploration of the adult film industry. His subsequent films—Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love, There Will Be Blood, The Master, Inherent Vice, Phantom Thread, and Licorice Pizza—have earned him numerous accolades, including multiple Academy Award nominations. Anderson is celebrated for his bold visual style, long takes, and collaborations with actors like Philip Seymour Hoffman, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Joaquin Phoenix. His work often explores themes of alienation, dysfunctional families, and redemption, and he is widely regarded as one of the most influential directors of his generation.
Thomas Pynchon, born May 8, 1937, in Glen Cove, New York, is a legendary American novelist known for his dense, postmodern works that blend history, science, and satire. After serving in the U.S. Navy, he earned a degree in English from Cornell University, where he befriended fellow writer Richard Fariña. Pynchon began his career as a technical writer at Boeing before publishing his debut novel V. in 1963. He followed with The Crying of Lot 49, Gravity’s Rainbow, Vineland, Mason & Dixon, Against the Day, Inherent Vice, and Bleeding Edge. His writing is marked by labyrinthine plots, paranoia, and dark humour, often challenging conventional narrative structures. Despite his literary fame, Pynchon is famously reclusive, avoiding public appearances and interviews. His influence on American literature is profound, and his works continue to inspire debate, admiration, and scholarly analysis.
