One Battle After Another (General Thread)

[Rooty Poots]

The Licorice Pizza trailer was incredible and was obviously a PTA special. I cannot believe he'd be letting anyone else handle this summer's trailer(s)

The Licorice Pizza trailer was edited by a third party marketing company that specializes in trailers. (I forget the name now; someone else can remind me!)

[WorldForgot]

Here are the bits from today's Puck piece that mention PTA and DeLuca

But one of the key people Zaslav turned to for advice about the Warners film studio happened to be the very person who had helped place De Luca and Abdy at MGM: Bryan Lourd. The CAA C.E.O. is a very persuasive fellow, and many clients have the bank accounts to prove it. At MGM, for example, Paul Thomas Anderson made Licorice Pizza, which cost about $50 million and grossed a paltry $32 million. Now he's deep into a movie for Warners with a nine-figure budget—much larger than he ever could have dreamed, considering that There Will Be Blood, his highest-grossing film, brought in just $76 million back in 2007.

Zaslav may have tried to prevent a lot of overspending by putting a limit on De Luca and Abdy's greenlight authority. Rumors have varied about the dollar amount, but it had to be lower than $100 million—meaning that Zaslav must have blessed, or at least somewhat blessed, the expensive films that have the town buzzing. So while the rumors rage and a recent Bloomberg article very ominously stated outright that Zaslav was "losing patience" with his studio heads, it's also possible he should have a stern talk with himself.

[...]
But why fire Goldstine now, before this string of risky movies rolls into theaters? Insiders said De Luca and Abdy cited frustration at what they saw as his one-size-fits-all approach... yet Goldstine's team remains, and he is not being replaced. It also appears that Warners, consistent with other divisions of Warner Bros. Discovery in the Zaslav era, is trying to spend less on marketing, which seems particularly risky with original films that aren't presold. (For his part, Goldstine is currently considering options that include becoming a marketing consultant on Greta Gerwig's Narnia movies at Netflix.)


With all this as a backdrop, rumors flew late last week that De Luca and Abdy were out. Asked for comment, Zaslav's spokesman, Robert Gibbs, responded, "There is no truth to that rumor." And that was it. Needless to say, the statement likely will do little to stop the rumor mill from grinding on. Zaslav has been said to be leaning toward replacing them with Peter Safran, the co-chair and co-C.E.O. (with James Gunn) of DC Studios. But simultaneously, there are rumors that Zaslav will initiate a search for new leadership.

[Achpi]

not details, but variety says cannes is "not happening".
https://variety.com/2025/film/global/cannes-predictions-spike-lee-wes-anderson-kristen-stewart-1236336422/

[Find Your Magali]

Well, there was buzz that they, to put it nicely, have to be very calculated and wise with the spending of their marketing dollars. Cannes isn't cheap.

[PaulElroy35]

Call me  slow but why do films get test screened before they are finished. All i can tell is the final film whether its PTA or someone elses could be dictated by random people who arent even that in love with movies.

[itwasgood]

It's all about marketing and promoting, because most people who the studios wish are going to see these films would be random people who probably don't really love cinema.

[Find Your Magali]

VARIETY: https://variety.com/2025/film/news/leonardo-dicaprio-paul-thomas-anderson-film-pushed-1236343213/

1. Title is officially "One Battle After Another"

2. Being pushed from Aug. 8 to Sept. 26.

3. "Insiders familiar with the movie said the minor push comes as the studio helps outfit U.S. movie theaters with VistaVision projection systems to accommodate their director's vision." (story doesn't mention the IMAX angle at all)

Hate that we have to wait longer to see this.
I also think that's terrible date switch for a movie that needs a supercharged box office to make its money. Seemingly hoping to take advantage and win all the buzz during a fairly light 7- or 8-week autumn window before Wicked 2 steals all the screens.

Was the marketing push behind schedule? Did they lose confidence in that Oppenheimer-esque prestige picture spot?
Does this put Venice or Toronto film festivals in play?

[itwasgood]

Since it's official now, time to change the title of this thread!

[WorldForgot]

[Next Planet Over]

Hard to shake PTA cracking jokes about "blubbery" marketing and "the trailer for the trailer" on Bill Simmons a few years back. Still, count me tf in.

[max from fearless]

This feels like it was cut by PTA (!?!) and boy does it feel good!
Love the discordant piano jingle at the end. Can't wait to hear everyones thoughts.
The conventional action movie trailer BASS BOOM and piercing note. I'm just so freakin' happy he's playing in this sandbox.

More later...but for now, excitement - and Penn looks like an absolute meance in that one shot.
Teyana Taylor looks like she's gonna steal the movie...that shot!!! (yes, I got this from the 19 second spot lol)

I dig the title now! And I love the font they use and the way its aligned on screen.
I wonder how much more they'll show in the next trailer!?!
(PS. I saw the trailer for The Master yesterday (for the first time in a cinema) and it looked scrumptous)

[Find Your Magali]

21 seconds is exceedingly cruel.

Lots of interesting stuff, though.
Do we think the jangly music in the last couple seconds reflects Greenwood's score?

[HACKANUT]

21 seconds is exceedingly cruel.

Lots of interesting stuff, though.
Do we think the jangly music in the last couple seconds reflects Greenwood's score?

Thats very much Greenwood.

[©brad]

Oh we are so back.

[Achpi]

so it looks like he really did a 140m PTA movie inspired by pynchon. insane and exciting.