Warner Bros. scored another unprecedented win at the domestic B.O. as Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another stormed into first place with a $22.4 million debut. The critically acclaimed drama, adapted loosely from Thomas Pynchon’s novel Vineland, opened in 3,634 theaters and delivered the strongest domestic launch of Anderson’s career.
The film also grossed $48.6 million globally, marking Warner Bros.’ ninth No. 1 opening of 2025 and pushing the studio’s domestic haul past $1.8 billion for the year.
The win comes at an interesting time for Warner Bros., which recently pushed Mortal Kombat II from its October slot to May 2026. With no more films left on its 2025 release calendar, the studio will sit out the competitive Thanksgiving and Christmas corridors, but still maintains a dominant market share of 28 percent of the domestic box office this year.
Coming in second, Universal’s Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie collected $13.7 million in its opening frame. Based on the wildly popular Netflix preschool series, the live-action/animation hybrid proved a solid draw for families. The series has run for eleven seasons and remains one of Netflix’s most-watched kids’ titles, giving the feature film strong brand recognition.
Anime powerhouse Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle ranked third, adding $7.1 million in its third weekend. Despite a 59 percent drop, the Sony/Crunchyroll release has amassed an impressive $118.2 million domestically, positioning it as one of the highest-grossing anime films in North America.
Warner Bros. continued its strong showing with The Conjuring: Last Rites, which earned $6.86 million in its fourth frame. The horror sequel has now tallied $161.5 million domestically and $435.9 million worldwide, underscoring the franchise’s durability more than a decade after the original’s release.
Lionsgate’s The Strangers: Chapter 2 bowed in fifth with $5.9 million. Directed by Renny Harlin, the horror follow-up is the second installment in a planned trilogy, although a tepid critical response could impact the franchise’s longevity.
The lower half of the chart saw steep declines. Universal’s Him tumbled 72 percent in its sophomore outing, grossing $3.65 million for a $20.8 million total. Lionsgate’s The Long Walk added $3.4 million in its third weekend for a $28.8 million cume. Focus’ Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale followed closely with $3.3 million, while Prathyangira Cinemas’ Indian release They Call Him OG debuted with $1.42 million from 800 theaters. Sony’s A Big Bold Beautiful Journey rounded out the top ten with $1.25 million.
Overall, the weekend’s top ten brought in $68.9 million, trailing the same frame last year, which saw Universal’s The Wild Robot debut to $35.8 million. But anticipation is high for next weekend, when Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl opens for a limited three-day engagement. Swift’s last theatrical event, The Eras Tour, shattered records with a $92.8 million launch. While expectations are more modest this time, the concert film will likely energize the early October box office.
With critical acclaim, a powerhouse cast led by Leonardo DiCaprio, and Anderson at the helm, One Battle After Another is proving that prestige cinema can still command the top spot — and give the fall box office a much-needed jolt.
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