The Actor Awards Presented by SAG-AFTRA will stream on Netflix March 1st.
Preview:
The nominations for the 2026 Actor Awards have been announced.
‘One Battle After Another’ leads the film field with seven nods.
The ceremony will screen on Netflix once more.
Despite the somewhat surprising decision to change the name of the Screen Actors Guild Awards to the clunkier The Actor Awards presented by SAG-AFTRA, everything else about the performer-focused awards is remaining the same.
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
(L to R) Jason Isaacs, Parker Posey, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sarah Catherine Hook, and Sam Nivola in ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3. Photo: Fabio Lovino/HBO.
Kevin Costner and Leonardo DiCaprio are developing at TV show about the United Nations
‘United’ would focus on specific events in the organization’s history.
Costner would play Bill Clinton.
While you might think Kevin Costner would have enough on his hands trying to get more of his ‘Horizon: An American Saga’ Western movies to screens, he’s found time for other projects.
Deadline reports that Costner, along with Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way company, is developing ‘United,’ a new TV series which will chronicle different real-life issues tackled by the United Nations.
(L to R) Alec Baldwin and President Bill Clinton at ‘Alec Baldwin: One Night Stand’. Photo: Comedy Central.
The project is written and will be directed by David Raymond (‘Night Hunter’), who partnered with the UN’s Creative Community Outreach Initiative during the tenure of previous UN Secretary Ban Ki-Moon and has been working with them ever since, unearthing true stories that highlight the power of shared humanity. It’s being approached as an ongoing series dramatizing true stories of the courage and sacrifice that humanitarian staff continuously make around the world.
The presumed focus is the 1999 uprising in East Timor, which took place following a UN-organized independence referendum in the territory. East Timor was a Portuguese colony up until 1975, briefly asserting independence before being annexed by Indonesia, in an invasion supported by the administration of U.S. President Gerald Ford.
In subsequent decades, those in the territory endured military repression, famine and widespread human-rights abuses. But by the late ’90s, Indonesia was politically weakened, and the people of East Timor were allowed to vote on whether to remain within Indonesia or become independent.
President Clinton and his staff were instrumental in de-escalating the situation in East Timor after the initial referendum, liaising with leaders in Australia, Portugal and other countries affiliated with the UN to pull it off.
The series is slated to shoot in Atlanta and Spain next year.
When might ‘United’ be on screens?
Fifth Season is handling distribution, and we have to assume the show will be looking for a streaming or network home before too long.
But right now, there is no information on when it might arrive.
Kevin Costner for ‘Horizon: An American Saga’ at CinemaCon 2024. Photo: Warner Bros.
Assuming he does end up signing on –– and a reunion with Mann is certainly an intriguing concept –– Bale would likely end up co-starring with Leonardo DiCaprio, though no deals are complete yet.
Still, it certainly appears Mann is aiming to build a leading ensemble to match the star power and awards haul of the original, famously led by Al Pacino and Robert De Niro.
Robert De Niro on the set of ‘Heat’. Photo: Warner Bros.
Mann’s original film follows Neil McCauley (De Niro), who leads a group of professional bank robbers, taking down major scores around Los Angeles. But after their latest heist goes terribly wrong and ends up in homicide, detective Vincent Hanna (Pacino) finds a clue and becomes obsessed with the case, determined to stop McCauley’s crew.
Hanna and McCauley are competing against each other in a deadly cat-and-mouse game. Although they are on different sides of the law, they still find huge respect, recognition in each other’s troubled personal lives and they understand their competing motivations –– yet they won’t hesitate to do whatever they can to win the battle.
How does ‘Heat 2’ tie in?
(L to R) Director Michael Mann, Al Pacino, and Robert De Niro on the set of ‘Heat’. Photo: Warner Bros.
‘Heat 2’ (written by Mann alongside Meg Gardiner) in book form tells the story of everything that happens before and after to the principal characters. The book jumps between two time periods, the first following Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer in the original film) as he tries to evade the LAPD and Hanna following the bank robbery gone bad and moves forward into new territory in the tri-border zone and Southeast Asia.
The second storyline takes readers back to Chicago in 1988 when McCauley, Shiherlis and their crew are taking scores on the West Coast, the U.S.–Mexico border, and in Chicago. At the same time, Hanna is cutting his teeth as a rising star in the Chicago police department chasing an ultraviolent gang of home invaders.
The fallout from McCauley’s scores and Hanna’s pursuit cause unexpected repercussions in a parallel narrative.
DiCaprio is reportedly interested in the role of Shiherlis, and the likes of Austin Butler and Bradley Cooper have also had meetings about potential parts. Driver is still apparently part of the mix too –– essentially anyone with a profile is circling this one. We don’t yet know who Bale might play.
When will ‘Heat 2’ be on screens?
Amazon MGM has yet to confirm a release date for the movie, but Mann is aiming to have cameras rolling next year.
Director Michael Mann at the premiere of ‘Ferrari.’ Photo: Neon.
(L to R) Rebecca Miller and Martin Scorsese in ‘Mr. Scorsese,’ premiering October 17, 2025 on Apple TV+.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Rebecca Miller about her work on ‘Mr. Scorsese’, how she got involved in the project, interviewing Martin Scorsese, his working relationship Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio and editor Thelma Schoonmaker, which interview surprised her the most, pacing the series over five episodes, what Scorsese had to say about ‘Taxi Driver’, and what she hopes people take away from watching the series.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about how you got involved with this project and when conducting the interviews with Martin Scorsese, what was it like essentially directing the greatest director of all time?
Rebecca Miller: Well, I got involved with it really by a formless hunch, a feeling. I had made another documentary, Damon Cardasis my producing partner said, “What would you like to do?” Because I said I’d like to make another one. He said, “What’s the subject?” I thought of Martin Scorsese first. You know, he made it so easy in a way to interview him. He almost makes fun of himself in the very beginning of the series where he’s making jokes about, “You need a slate” and stuff like that. But really, he was just so open, I think, is the word. Just very open. I wasn’t really directing him so much as just listening to him, you know, and then asking the next question. We led each other into some very unexpected places.
(L to R) Archival photo of Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese on the set of “The Aviator” featured in ‘Mr. Scorsese,’ premiering October 17, 2025 on Apple TV+.
MF: Mr. Scorsese has had many great collaborators over the years, but the three that stick out from the documentary were Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, and editor Thelma Schoonmaker. Can you talk about interviewing them and is there a through line between their collaborations that you can put your finger on?
RM: The first word that comes to mind is trust. In fact, he mentions that with regards to them. You know, he knew that De Niro, even though he was becoming a star after ‘Mean Streets’, he could trust him. That he wasn’t going to abandon him or allow anyone to take the work away from him, because that was still a possibility from Marty at that time. With Thelma, he knew that he could trust her to help him make the work that he needed to make and not be obstructionist or egotistical about it. The same thing with, I think with Leonardo, because that’s what Marty needs is to be able to trust people that he’s collaborating with. Then once that trust is there, you’re free to experiment and to really be wild because you trust each other.
(L to R) Archival photo of Martin Scorsese and Thelma Schoonmaker featured in ‘Mr. Scorsese,’ premiering October 17, 2025 on Apple TV+.
MF: Of all the interviews you did with Mr. Scorsese’s friends, family and colleagues, was there one interview that really surprised you and was there anyone you wanted to speak with but were unable to?
RM: I got to talk to so many people, and people that I never expected to be able to speak to. His childhood friends were like a particular boon, it was just so amazing that I got to talk to them, especially because one of them died shortly after I interviewed him. But also, the model for Johnny Boy (from ‘Mean Streets’), you know, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I didn’t even know that I would necessarily have them.
(L to R) Robert De Niro, Frank “Butch” Piccirillo and Martin Scorsese in ‘Mr. Scorsese,’ premiering October 17, 2025 on Apple TV+.
MF: Can you talk about pacing and the challenge of fitting in all aspects of Mr. Scorsese’s life and career into just five episodes?
RM: I mean, I didn’t want to rush, but on the other hand, I really wanted there to be a sense of pacing and of urgency, because his work has that, and his personality has that. I wanted it to reflect his personality. I wanted the film to feel like Marty himself. Maybe that’s why sometimes there are certain cuts that feel like his cuts, because they’re originating with him and his personality. Then, of course, his work is an outgrowth of his personality. But you know, the number of segments really, at first it was going to be one feature film. Then I quite quickly realized there was no way I could do it that way, because the childhood and early adulthood really needed time, so you could understand how deeply connected his work in general is to those early years. Once you do that, once you spend that first episode, then you need more time to get to the rest of it. Because essentially, the series is really the dance between the art and the life. They’re creating each other. Art’s creating life, life’s creating art, and at a certain point, we kind of ran out of life in a way. That’s the point where you’re like, “Okay, that’s the end”. So, it’s the dance between those two things.
Archival photo of Martin Scorsese on the set of ‘Gangs of New York’ featured in ‘Mr. Scorsese,’ premiering October 17, 2025 on Apple TV+.
MF: Was there any movie that you asked Mr. Scorsese about where you were surprised by his answer?
RM: Well, I mean, I was very intrigued by his answers to ‘Taxi Driver’. I talked to him about it. I asked, “What is it about you at that time that’s in that film?” And you can see him close his eyes and sort of be resistant, but also want to give an answer. He gives this extraordinary answer but over throughout, there’s this thread of the deep connection between what he’s going through as a person, his own suffering, his obsessions, and the films that he’s making.
Archival photo of Martin Scorsese on the set of ‘The Departed’ featured in ‘Mr. Scorsese,’ premiering October 17, 2025 on Apple TV+.
MF: In the series, Mr. Scorsese talks says that in the stories he tells, the human struggle is what he is most interested in? Can you talk about his passion for that idea in terms of his filmography?
RM: I think overall, there’s a sort of sense of, as Nicholas Pileggi says, “Underdogs trying to score”, and very often, these people are struggling to become themselves. It’s like they want to become themselves, but in that process of trying to become themselves, like Jake LaMotta (in ‘Raging Bull’), for example, you can lose your soul, and that’s interesting too. The loss of the self, the loss of the soul, the kind of darkness that can come into sight of people. It’s not always good news in Scorsese’s universe.
Martin Scorsese in ‘Mr. Scorsese,’ premiering October 17, 2025 on Apple TV+.
MF: Finally, what will you remember most about making this series and what do you hope fans learn about Mr. Scorsese and his work that they did not already know?
RM: I mean, just having him in my life and the friendship that I have with him is such an immense reward. The idea that I was able to maybe give him back to the people that love him in a form that they didn’t know or anticipate, and to shed something new on the films and maybe bring people back to the films or to the films when they haven’t seen them, that to me is a great reward.
Martin Scorsese in ‘Mr. Scorsese,’ premiering October 17, 2025 on Apple TV+.
What is the story of ‘Mr. Scorsese’?
Explore the many lives of Martin Scorsese through intimate interviews with the man himself, access to his private archives, plus conversations with Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, Daniel Day-Lewis, Steven Spielberg, and more.
(Left) Leonardo DiCaprio at the Los Angeles World Premiere of ‘One Battle After Another’. Photo Credit: Jay Clendenin. Copyright: Shutterstock. (Right) Director Michael Mann at the premiere of ‘Ferrari.’ Photo: Neon.
Preview:
Michael Mann’s ‘Heat 2’ has Leonardo DiCaprio circling a role.
Bradley Cooper and more are also said to have met for the movie.
The film itself is on the move from Warner Bros. to Amazon after budget disagreements.
And that’s not the only development –– the movie itself has shifted from Warner Bros. (where the studio and director couldn’t come to terms on the budget) to Amazon MGM Studios, which will produce via its United Artists label after winning the chance over the likes of Sony and Paramount.
(L to R) Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in 1995’s ‘Heat.’
Mann’s original film follows Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro), who leads a group of professional bank robbers, taking down major scores around Los Angeles. But after their latest heist goes terribly wrong and ends up in homicide, detective Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) finds a clue and becomes obsessed with the case, determined to stop McCauley’s crew.
Hanna and McCauley are competing against each other in a deadly cat-and-mouse game. Although they are on different sides of the law, they still find huge respect, recognition in each other’s troubled personal lives and they understand their competing motivations –– yet they won’t hesitate to do whatever they can to win the battle.
How does ‘Heat 2’ tie in?
(L to R) Robert De Niro and Val Kilmer in 1995’s ‘Heat.’
‘Heat 2’ (written by Mann alongside Meg Gardiner) in book form tells the story of everything that happens before and after to the principal characters. The book jumps between two time periods, the first following Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer in the original film) as he tries to evade the LAPD and Hanna following the bank robbery gone bad and moves forward into new territory in the tri-border zone and Southeast Asia.
The second storyline takes readers back to Chicago in 1988 when McCauley, Shiherlis and their crew are taking scores on the West Coast, the U.S.–Mexico border, and in Chicago. At the same time, Hanna is cutting his teeth as a rising star in the Chicago police department chasing an ultraviolent gang of home invaders.
The fallout from McCauley’s scores and Hanna’s pursuit cause unexpected repercussions in a parallel narrative.
DiCaprio is reportedly interested in the role of Shiherlis, and the likes of Austin Butler and Bradley Cooper have also had meetings about potential parts. Driver is still apparently part of the mix too –– essentially anyone with a profile is circling this one. But zero deals are in place yet.
Still, at least it seems Mann can finally get the burner lit and get ‘Heat 2’ cooking.
Director Michael Mann at the premiere of ‘Ferrari.’ Photo: Neon.
Image for Taylor Swift’s ‘The Official Release Party of a Showgirl.’
Preview:
Taylor Swift’s ‘The Official Release Party of a Showgirl’ topped the box office.
The album release party movie earned $33 million.
MMA biopic ‘The Smashing Machine’ was third.
Taylor Swift has proved once again that she has the power. Even though her latest cinematic offering, ‘The Official Release Party of a Showgirl’ isn’t a concert film like ‘The Eras Tour’ a couple of years ago, fans flocked to see it on release this weekend.
It’s even more impressive when you consider that Swift dropped word of it around two weeks ago via her (albeit mighty) social channels and there has been little other promotion beyond backers AMC Theaters, who scored another exclusive deal with the singer.
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‘Showgirl,’ an 89-minute listening party that offers fans a look at a new music video and behind-the-scenes footage for her 12th studio album, ‘The Life of a Showgirl,’ took in an impressive $33 million this weekend on a three-day limited run. And with Swift bypassing studios, she and AMC enjoy a bigger cut of any profits.
How did ‘The Official Release Party of a Showgirl’ perform elsewhere?
Image for Taylor Swift’s ‘The Official Release Party of a Showgirl.’
Internationally, the new Swift release earned $13 million, for a $46 million global haul so far. As mentioned, it won’t be sticking around theaters (we’re sure studios and filmmakers will breathe a sigh of relief) and will likely now head to home entertainment channels.
It’s all in support of her latest album, which itself has been breaking records itself despite some mixed reviews.
Here’s AMC’s CEO Adam Aron in a statement about the latest Swift cinema release:
“On behalf of AMC Theatres and the entire theatrical exhibition industry, I extend our sincerest appreciation to the iconic Taylor Swift for bringing her brilliance and magic to movie theatres this weekend. Her vision to add a cinematic element to her incredible album debut was nothing less than a triumph.”
What else happened at the box office this weekend?
Dwayne Johnson stars in ‘The Smashing Machine’. Photo: A24.
The movie, which cost $50 million to produce (and more to market), earned a disappointing third place launch. A24 will likely still be pinning its hopes on this one being an awards contender, and it remains to be seen whether the lackluster financial performance hurts those chances.
Second place went to Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘One Battle After Another,’ the anarchic comedic action epic starring Leonardo DiCaprio. With $41 million earned to date in the US, it is now PTA’s most successful movie, but with a $130 million-plus price tag, faces a steep climb to breaking even.
Leonardo Di Caprio as Bob Ferguson in ‘One Battle After Another.’ A Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
Preview:
‘One Battle After Another’ is the latest Warner Bros. movie to top the box office.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s ambitious latest stars Leonardo DiCaprio.
‘Gabby’s Dollhouse’ opened second.
It was certainly a gamble for Warner Bros. to back Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film –– for all the acclaim the filmmaker has accrued, he rarely opens to giant box office figures. And even with a bankable star such as Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead, a budget in excess of $130 million was always going to be tough to turn into profit.
Still, a launch of $22.4 million, enough to top the box office this weekend is certainly healthier for ‘One Battle After Another’ than some might have predicted.
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With plenty of positive reviews and good reactions from cinemagoers, it’s probably about as solid as an original, long movie with controversial themes (social justice, political violence) might have expected.
It opened to $26.1 million across 74 markets, making for a $48.5 million global start.
Of course, it has a long road to travel to get to profitability, but it has premium format screenings and plenty of buzz to help it build legs.
And it represents another good result for Warner Bros., which has already enjoyed success with the likes of ‘Sinners’ and ‘A Minecraft Movie’ this year.
What else happened at the box office this weekend?
Madelaine Petsch as Maya in ‘The Strangers — Chapter 2’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
Second place this weekend went to the kid-friendly blend of live-action and animation that is show adaptation ‘Gabby’s Dollhouse’. The Universal movie opened to $13.5 million, and $19 million worldwide.
Horror title ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ clung on to third, adding $6.8 million, ahead of misfiring Renny Harlin sequel effort ‘The Strangers: Chapter 2’, which landed in fourth with $5.9 million. That one at least has the advantage of only costing $8.5 million to make.
Fifth was ‘Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle’, which topped the box office last weekend, and fell, but is still earning money. It made $4.8 million, and is currently sitting at $115.9 million domestically.
Coming up next week is awards-buzzed ‘The Smashing Machine’ starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, but ‘One Battle’ faces no real challenge to its premium screen formats until ‘Tron: Ares’ lands on October 10th and starts gobbling up IMAX locations.
(L to R) Leonardo Di Caprio and Director/Writer/Producer Paul Thomas Anderson on the set of ‘One Battle After Another.’ A Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Credit: Merrick Morton.
(Left) Leonardo DiCaprio attends the London Photocall For ‘One Battle After Another’ on September 15, 2025 in London, England. Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: 2025 Getty Images. (Right) ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ director Martin Scorsese.
Preview:
Martin Scorsese has chosen his next film to direct: ‘What Happens at Night’.
Regular collaborator Leonardo DiCaprio will star alongside Jennifer Lawrence.
It’s a surreal, horror-tinged tale adapted from a Peter Cameron novel.
Martin Scorsese in ‘The Studio,’ premiering March 26, 2025 on Apple TV+.
Cameron’s book follows a married American couple who travel to a small, snowy European town to adopt a baby. They check into a cavernous, largely deserted hotel where they encounter an enigmatic cast of characters including a flamboyant chanteuse, a depraved businessman and a charismatic faith healer.
Nothing is quite as it seems in this strange, frozen world. As the couple struggle to claim their baby, the less they seem to know about themselves and the life they’ve built together…
Where else can we see Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence?
Jennifer Lawrence as Maddie in director Gene Stupnitsky’s ‘No Hard Feelings.’
DiCaprio has Paul Thomas Anderson’s much buzzed-about ‘One Battle After Another’ headed to cinemas this weekend, and while box office prospects haven’t been as great as Warner Bros. might like given the hefty $130 million price tag, it has enjoyed enthusiastic reviews and seems positioned for plenty of awards buzz.
He’s also attached to another Scorsese project, a Hawaii-set based-on-truth story of gangsters and territory that is also set to star Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt (though it appears that it’ll now be in development a little longer since the new Marty/Leo team-up is gathering speed.
With the deal for Apple still not locked down, expect to wait a while to learn when this one will arrive. But even assuming the company comes aboard, chances are it’ll look to find one of its regular distribution partners such as Paramount and Warner Bros. to handle getting it into theaters.
Leonardo DiCaprio at CinemaCon 2025. Photo: Warner Bros.
Leonardo Di Caprio as Bob Ferguson in ‘One Battle After Another.’ A Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
Acclaimed director Paul Thomas Anderson returns to theaters with another modern masterpiece and one of the best films of his impressive career. Loosely based on the novel ‘Vineland’ by Thomas Pynchon, ‘One Battle After Another’ is an incredibly timely, frantic farce that delivers action, humor, and heart.
Leonardo Di Caprio gives a powerhouse performance leading a fantastic cast that also includes Sean Penn in an Oscar worthy supporting role. Benicio del Toro is fantastically funny in his small role, but it is young actress Chase Infiniti that shines along with Di Caprio.
Story and Direction
(L to R) Leonardo Di Caprio and Director/Writer/Producer Paul Thomas Anderson on the set of ‘One Battle After Another.’ A Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Credit: Merrick Morton.
The film begins by introducing us to Pat (Leonardo Di Caprio), who is an explosives expert and a member of a group of revolutionaries rebelling against the government and their barbaric immigration policies. The group is led by the charismatic Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor) who is also in a relationship with Pat. She soon crosses paths with Col. Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn) and after she makes a fool of him publicly, he becomes obsessed with her.
Eventually, Perfidia becomes pregnant and after having the baby is captured by Lockjaw, who sends soldiers after the other members. Pat takes the baby, and they go underground living under new identities, careful not to draw Lockjaw’s attention. Sixteen years later, Pat is now Bob Ferguson, an alcoholic pothead raising his daughter Willa by himself, with Perfidia’s whereabouts unknown. They live in a small town where Willa studies martial arts from a local Sensei named Sergio (Benicio del Toro).
Lockjaw is now high up in the government and to join an exclusive and elite club he must kidnap Willa to discover the truth behind a secret that her mother was hiding. Now, with the help of an ex-revolutionary named Deandra (Regina Hall) and Sensei Sergio, Bob must escape from Lockjaw’s men and rescue Willa before it’s too late.
(L to R) Director/Writer/Producer Paul Thomas Anderson, Leonardo Di Caprio and Benicio del Toro on the set of ‘One Battle After Another.’ A Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Credit: Merrick Morton.
While I love ‘Boogie Nights’ and think ‘There Will Be Blood’ is one of the greatest American movies ever made, I have to say that ‘Inherent Vice’ is probably my favorite Paul Thomas Anderson movie. That film was also based on a novel by author Thomas Pynchon, which is probably why the two films are similar in tone and offbeat humor. But Anderson wisely updated the 60’s to 80’s setting of the book to modern day. While our current President’s name is never invoked, it’s obvious that Anderson is using the movie to comment on the current administration’s war on immigration.
In fact, this is by far the most political film Anderson has ever made, but it also has more action sequences than his previous movies. The director finds humor in the most absurd situations, but never loses the message or heart of the movie. Anderson is the last of a dying breed of filmmakers who make unique, crowd-pleasing epics every time out, and this film is no exception. The movie also boasts an impressive score from Jonny Greenwood and gorgeous cinematography from Michael Bauman and Anderson.
Cast and Performances
Benicio del Toro as Sensei St. Carlos in ‘One Battle After Another.’ A Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
Leonardo Di Caprio is possibly the last true movie star, having never made a superhero film or even a sequel, he is still an actor that puts butts in seats regardless of the movie’s content. Think about it, this guy got us to go see his bear (‘The Revenant’) movie!
Some of Di Caprio’s best work in recent years has been in ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ and ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’, and he’s just as good if not better here. There are some similarities between Rick Dalton and Bob Ferguson, but Di Caprio creates a new, awkward, burnout character for us to root for. He’s not a hero, but you do want him to win and his relentless need to find his daughter drives the movie.
(L to R) Teyana Taylor as Perfidia and Sean Penn as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw in ‘One Battle After Another.’ A Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
Sean Penn gives one of his best performances in recent years and is probably a frontrunner for a Best Supporting Oscar nomination at this point. It’s funny to think of the public Sean Penn we all know, a liberal revolutionary in his own right, playing this completely conservative military character. His performance is specific and fits perfectly with Anderson’s tone.
Bencio del Toro gives a gentle and funny performance as Willa’s Sensei Sergio, who helps Bob along the way. He has great chemistry with Di Caprio and shines in all his scenes. Teyana Taylor makes quite an impression as Perfidia Beverly Hills and gives an explosive performance. Unfortunately, her role is limited due to the story, but she lights up the screen regardless.
hase Infiniti as Willa Ferguson in ‘One Battle After Another.’ A Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
And in her first film, Chase Infinity is a revelation. The actress gives a subtle yet strong performance as Perfidia’s daughter and has great chemistry with Di Caprio. She holds her own in her scenes with Penn and is quite a force on screen.
Oscar Chances
Leonardo Di Caprio as Bob Ferguson in ‘One Battle After Another.’ A Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
I think it’s safe to say that ‘One Battle After Another’ should be a frontrunner for Best Picture and Best Director nominations at this year’s Academy Awards. I would imagine Best Original Screenplay for Anderson and Best Actor for Di Caprio are also in the mix, as well as a Best Supporting nom for Penn. I would also encourage voters to consider Greenwood’s work for Best Score, as well as Infiniti for Best Supporting Actress.
Final Thoughts
Teyana Taylor as Perfidia in ‘One Battle After Another.’ A Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
Filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson has delivered a movie that is as funny, exciting and exhilarating as it is timely and culturally important. With brilliant performances from the entire cast but especially Di Caprio, Penn, del Toro and Infiniti, ‘One Battle After Another’ is a must see and one of the best films of the year.
‘One Battle After Another’ receives a score of 99 out of 100.
‘One Battle After Another’ opens in theaters on September 26th.
What is the plot of ‘One Battle After Another’?
When their evil enemy (Sean Penn) resurfaces after 16 years, a group of ex-revolutionaries reunite to rescue the daughter (Chace Infiniti) of one of their own (Leonardo Di Caprio).
Who is in the cast of ‘One Battle After Another’?
Leonardo DiCaprio as Bob Ferguson
Sean Penn as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw
Benicio del Toro as Sensei Sergio
Regina Hall as Deandra
Teyana Taylor as Perfidia Beverly Hills
Chase Infiniti as Willa Ferguson
Starletta DuPois as Grandma Jennie
D. W. Moffett as Bill Desmond
Paul Grimstad as Howard Sommerville
‘One Battle After Another’ opens in theaters on September 26th.
Marc Maron as Sweeney in director Michael Morris’ ‘To Leslie.’
Preview:
Marc Maron is to end his ‘WTF with Marc Maron’ podcast.
He reveals he’s burned out on hosting the show, but “utterly satisfied.”
Past guests have included Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Keith Richards and Barack Obama.
One of the early adopters of the celebrity podcast interview format, comedian and actor Marc Maron, is hanging up his headphones.
Maron, who in addition to his standup and other work has been in movies such as ‘To Leslie’ and animated effort ‘The Bad Guys’ (where he voices Snake), launched ‘WTF with Marc Maron’ in September 2009. And via a story in Deadline, he’s announced that the show will come to a close –– at least, its regular twice-weekly version, this coming fall.
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Maron had this to say about the decision on a recent episode:
“Sixteen years we’ve been doing this, and we’ve decided that we had a great run. Now, basically, it’s time, folks. It’s time. ‘WTF’ is coming to an end. It’s our decision. We’ll have our final episode sometime in the fall.”
Marc Maron in ‘Stick,’ premiering June 4, 2025 on Apple TV+. Photo: Apple TV+.
A slow-burn success since its launch, the podcast has had 1.1 billion downloads, listens and impressions since its launch with 1,645 episodes as well as more than 300 bonus episodes for premium subscribers.
Maron has interviewed comedy greats, A-list actors and even Presidents. His June 2015 interview with President Barack Obama broke the record for ‘WTF’s hosting service, Libsyn, for most downloads in a 24-hour period by more than double the previous record. President Obama travelled to Maron’s garage in Highland Park, California to discuss race relations and gun violence.
Other standout episodes include Todd Glass coming out in 2012 and a 2010 episode with Robin Williams, which was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry in 2022.
Maron, whose first ever guest was Jeff Ross, has also interviewed the likes of Sir Paul McCartney, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt as well as SNL creator Lorne Michaels, who was one of Maron’s white whales, the most discussed person on the podcast and the man who Maron needed closure from after a meeting that haunted him in the 1990s.
Maron and his producer Brendan McDonald were the recipients of the first-ever Governors Award by the Podcast Academy for Excellence in Audio at The Ambies in 2021.
Marc Maron talks more about the end of ‘WTF’
Marc Maron stars in ‘To Leslie,’ which opens in theaters and on VOD October 7th.
Here’s Maron discussing why he chose to end the show now:
“It really comes down to the fact that we’ve put up a new show every Monday and Thursday for almost sixteen years and we’re tired. We’re burnt out. And we are utterly satisfied with the work we’ve done. We’ve done great work. This doesn’t mean I’m never going to do something like this again. Doesn’t mean I’ll never have talks like I do here, or some kind of podcast at some point in time. But for now, we’re just wrapping things up. It’s okay. It’s okay to end things. It’s okay to try to start some other chapter in your life.”
And on his other reasons:
“It’s nice to be able to end things on our terms. We’ve always had that power to do that and that’s what we’re going to do. We started the show on our terms, we grew it on our terms, and we’ll end it on our terms.”
Where else have we seen Marc Maron?
(from left) Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson), Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos) and Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘The Bad Guys 2’, directed by Pierre Perifel. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Maron initially came to prominence through his stand-up and has had several specials.
Outside of that and ‘WTF’, stand-up comedian and podcast host.
He’s hosted ‘The Marc Maron Show,’ and been co-host of both ‘Morning Sedition’ and ‘Breakroom Live,’ all politically-oriented shows, produced under the auspices of Air America Media.
