Paul Thomas Anderson Confirms Whether One Battle After Another Will Get A Director’s Cut

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Everyone’s been asking if I’ll release a director’s cut of my latest film, One Battle After Another, and I’ve been giving it some thought. As a filmmaker – you probably know my work, things like There Will Be Blood, Punch-Drunk Love, and Phantom Thread – I always tinker. This one, a sort of dark, funny, and very current political thriller, really connected with people when it came out, and it’s already getting a lot of Oscar buzz for next year. So, we’ll see… maybe a slightly different version will surface eventually.

The film One Battle After Another centers on Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio), a man with a past as a revolutionary, and his daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti), who are trying to live a quiet life in hiding. Their peace is shattered when a former adversary, Col. Steven Lockjaw (Sean Penn), begins a relentless pursuit to find them. The movie also stars Benicio Del Toro, Teyana Taylor, and Regina Hall.

Despite One Battle After Another already being a lengthy 2 hours and 41 minutes, fans speculated about a possible director’s cut with even more scenes – potentially making the film too long for theaters. In a recent interview with Konbini, director Anderson and actor DiCaprio clarified that a director’s cut is unlikely.

Anderson explains that some scenes were removed during editing. However, he doesn’t believe any of these cuts were major or detracted from the quality of the film. He’s happy with the final theatrical release of One Battle After Another, and feels it’s likely the strongest version of the movie.

Leonardo DiCaprio has said he enjoys some of the deleted scenes, but he understands why they didn’t make the final cut. He worries that a longer version of the movie could disrupt its flow and pacing. You can read his full thoughts below:

I saw an early version of the film, and it had a lot of promise. It’s around two hours long, and honestly, every single moment is gripping and full of intense suspense. I don’t think making it longer would have the same effect. That feeling of constant urgency, like a thrilling chase with something terrible about to happen—especially to the character Willa—would be lost. It needs to stay lean to maintain that adrenaline rush.

While some viewers might be curious about deleted scenes, the released version of One Battle After Another already feels complete. Critics agree, with the film boasting a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metascore of 95. Many believe it’s a strong contender for Best Picture at the upcoming Oscars.

The film One Battle After Another received nine Golden Globe nominations on Monday, with five of the six lead actors being recognized – everyone except Hall. Sean Penn is considered a likely winner in several acting categories. These nominations and potential awards indicate widespread approval of the film in its current form.

We might eventually see deleted scenes released, and behind-the-scenes content could help maintain interest in One Battle After Another as awards season gets underway and Oscar voters cast their ballots. However, it sounds like Paul Thomas Anderson doesn’t plan to release a four-hour director’s cut.

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2025-12-10 20:38