Hollywood icons Leonardo DiCaprio and Benicio del Toro are set to share the screen in Paul Thomas Anderson’s upcoming adventure drama One Battle After Another, which releases in UAE cinemas on September 25. The highly anticipated film also stars Sean Penn, Teyana Taylor, and Regina Hall.
Speaking at the Los Angeles premiere, Benicio del Toro opened up about his long-held admiration for Leonardo DiCaprio and what it was like finally working with him. “With Leo, you just let him bring the character, and you just… he’s the story,” del Toro told People. “For me with Leo, it’s about working around him and making sure my character feeds into the story.”
Del Toro also revealed that he had been “admiring” DiCaprio’s work for decades, calling the opportunity to act alongside him both a privilege and a career highlight. “Leo is one of those that I’ve been admiring for decades, and I never had a chance to work with.
Getting this chance was a great experience and a great opportunity, and I hope he feels the same way,” he added.
For DiCaprio, the project held equal excitement—particularly because of his admiration for the film’s writer and director, Paul Thomas Anderson. “Ever since I met Paul early on and I saw Boogie Nights, I’ve been an obsessive fan of his work,” DiCaprio told People.
“A lot of writer-directors are incredibly rigid, but Anderson’s ability to work with actors is so unique. It’s an honour to work with him.”
The film’s synopsis, as shared on IMDb, follows a group of former revolutionaries who reunite to save one of their now-grown daughters. The story, blending action, drama, and human emotion, promises an expansive cinematic experience.
DiCaprio himself described it as “an incredibly epic movie that has such scope and scale” when teasing the project at CinemaCon 2025 earlier this year.
Adding to the excitement, the cast features Sean Penn, whose intensity and presence are expected to amplify the narrative, as well as Teyana Taylor and Regina Hall, who bring depth to the ensemble. The blend of seasoned stars and versatile performers positions the film as one of 2025’s most anticipated cinematic releases.
Anderson, known for acclaimed works such as There Will Be Blood, Magnolia, and Licorice Pizza, has once again crafted a story that combines complex characters with sweeping cinematic vision. His collaboration with DiCaprio, long awaited by fans and critics alike, is expected to be a highlight of the film.
The combination of Anderson’s storytelling, DiCaprio’s intensity, and del Toro’s layered performances promises a cinematic experience that blends grit, emotional depth, and spectacle. For audiences in the UAE, the film opens on September 25, ahead of its wider release on September 26 in the United States.
With critical buzz already building and anticipation high, One Battle After Another stands poised to become one of the year’s defining films, offering both an epic adventure and a showcase of acting at its finest.