Tom Holland has already checked off the kind of career goals most actors spend decades chasing. He landed Spider-Man, led a billion-dollar movie and worked with great filmmakers, including Christopher Nolan on The Odyssey. Still, there is one trophy missing from the shelf, and Holland has not pretended to be indifferent if an Oscar eventually joins the collection. That puts him in similar territory to Timothée Chalamet, who has spoken openly about wanting to become one of the greats. Yet, when Holland discussed his own awards ambitions, he compared himself to Leonardo DiCaprio.

Holland took part in an Esquire UK profile ahead of his jam-packed 2026 movie schedule. During the chat, he looked beyond his contemporaries and pointed to DiCaprio as the career model who makes waiting feel worthwhile. According to the outlet’s feature, Holland set himself a 15-year goal of winning an Academy Award amid a 2017 interview. With six years remaining, the actor said he is still interested but is not choosing every project for its awards potential. He explained:

It is a far more relaxed approach than the one Chalamet has taken publicly. After winning the 2025 SAG Award for A Complete Unknown, the Dune: Part Three star said he was “really in pursuit of greatness,” a line that stood out because actors usually sand down that kind of ambition during awards season. Chalamet later admitted he was disappointed when Adrien Brody won the Oscar instead.

The pursuit continued with Marty Supreme. Chalamet earned another Best Actor nomination at the 2026 Academy Awards, but Michael B. Jordan took home the trophy for Sinners. Chalamet remains Oscarless, though he has already collected three acting nominations and another nomination as one of Marty Supreme’s producers. Holland has not entered that part of the race yet, but his willingness to say he wants the same prize carries some of Chalamet’s refreshing refusal to act above it.

Holland also has several projects that could move him closer. His role as Telemachus in Nolan’s The Odyssey, (which he initially thought he was doing terribly), gives him a major dramatic showcase. Also, the long-in-development Fred Astaire biopic looks like the clearest awards vehicle of his career. The Spider-Man: Brand New Day star began as a dancer in Billy Elliot the Musical, making Astaire a natural fit even before the usual biopic and Oscar calculations come into play.

DiCaprio offers the Uncharted star a useful "measuring stick" that a long wait does not mean a failed career. He received his first nomination for What’s Eating Gilbert Grape in 1994, then spent more than two decades collecting acclaimed performances and near misses before finally winning for The Revenant in 2016.

Holland may admire that patience, but his closest present-day comparison is still Chalamet. Both became franchise stars at a young age and have pursued more demanding work, and neither is shy about seeking the industry’s top acting prize. The difference is that Chalamet is already deep into the campaign, while Holland sounds pretty content to let the right role find him before he starts writing that speech to his mum.

Tom Holland has one heck of a summer with The Odyssey hitting theaters on July 17 and then his fourth leading role as everyones favorite Web Head in Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31.

Anytime Leonardo DiCaprio takes on a new role, the chances are high that it’ll be one worth considering for awards buzz, and that’s pretty much been the case for the past 30 years, since he co-starred in one of the biggest blockbusters of all time, James Cameron’s Titanic. Of course, if Leo’s former co-star John C. Reilly had anything to do with it, Kate Winslet’s Rose might have been wooed by a completely different actor as Jack.

DiCaprio teamed up for the first time with Paul Thomas Anderson for One Battle After Another, a big winner at this year’s Oscars. But the icons came close-ish to working together in the late ’90s for Boogie Nights, and the actor has voiced some Sliding Doors-esque regrets about not signing on to play Dirk Diggler, a role that went to Mark Wahlberg. Now, Reilly has spoken out about his advisory role in that process, which arguably amounts to some of the worst career guidance imaginable.

Appearing on Ted Danson’s podcast Where Everybody Knows Your Name, streaming on YouTube, the actor shared that he thought he was doing a former co-star a solid by steering him clear of working on Titanic. As he put it:

At that point, Anderson's only produced feature was 1996's Hard Eight. And while it was acclaimed upon its release, it didn't exactly eclipse all of James Cameron's previous accomplishments. But John C. Reilly still tried to woo the young actor by playing up the same kind of criticisms that Cameron faced as his production's budget expanded beyond expectations. Namely, that nobody wanted to see that historical tragedy on the big screen. He continued:

To be fair, John C. Reilly also addressed the idea that in 1997, making a breezy Hollywood movie about a well-endowed porn star wasn't exactly the norm, and may not have seemed like the most promising role to DiCaprio, especially when he already had a major part locked down.

The way Reilly puts it, DiCaprio doesn't seem like he was ever truly invested in taking his buddy's advice, especially when it ran counter to all the other counsel he'd been hearing from those hired to guide his career. The Walk Hard actor said:

Interestingly enough, Mark Wahlberg met with James Cameron for Titanic, although he was far more interested in driving around in the director’s Hummer than showing off his acting skills. Less than 10 years later, Wahlberg and DiCaprio shared the screen in Martin Scorsese’s The Departed, though I’d love to know if that movie would have still happened had their 1997 movie roles been switched.

DiCaprio is once again working with Scorsese for a psychological horror movie releasing in 2026, What Happens at Night, with Jennifer Lawrence, Mads Mikkelsen and Patricia Clarkson co-starring. Meanwhile, John C. Reilly will next be seen in the upcoming action movie How to Rob a Bank from John Wick’s David Leitch. Maybe we’ll hear one day that Reilly tried to talk Keanu Reeves out of playing that franchise’s vengeful hitman.

Latest episode of the Fans can find Titanic streaming via Paramount+ subscription, so if it’s been a while since you’ve seen that ol’ movie about a boat sinking, look no further.

Sometimes you have to see it to believe it, and sometimes, if you’re Brad Pitt, seeing it still doesn’t compute. That’s what happened when Leonard DiCaprio’s dad and stepmom came to visit him on the set of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The actor recalled the humorous incident involving Pitt mistakenly thinking his parents were extras in the original film way back before the Cliff Booth sequel came together. Yes, really.

The mix-up occurred when the two were driving around the set and took a corner at Musso & Frank’s on Hollywood Boulevard, when they spotted his parents on the sidewalk. In a video interview with Time, DiCaprio fondly remembered his dad’s set visit for the excellent Tarantino movie when he told Pitt:

DiCaprio explained how his father grew up in San Francisco and Los Angeles, where he was part of the hippie counterculture, while his stepmother is a sikh. During his youth, his dad hung out with the 1970s underground art movement in Los Angeles. He shared how he told Pitt that that was his dad and stepmom, even gesturing to them. The actor laughed about how his parents’ appearances were perfect for the film.

Except DiCaprio’s co-star thought he was messing with him, and even told him, “Yeah, right.” The actor calls the moment amazing and describes it as one he’ll never forget. It’s an endearing story that fans will definitely remember. He recalls telling Pitt:

This is not the first time Leonardo DiCaprio has shared behind-the-scenes stories about the acclaimed Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The actor has previously shared about improvising fan-favorite moments, such as the improvised trailer freak-out scene. This story was also shared by Quentin Tarantino, who was hesitant about the idea, though he later admitted that it actually worked. Further proof that DiCaprio’s coworkers should believe what he says.

Despite the fondness that the actor speaks of the role, he will not be returning to the role for the already-wrapped Once Upon A Time in Hollywood sequel. The actor previously confirmed he will not be returning.

The film is titled The Adventures of Cliff Booth and follows Brad Pitt’s character, with David Fincher directing instead of Quentin Tarantino. It will also be heading directly to Netflix. It takes place eight years after the events of OUAIH and has new actors joining Pitt for this fresh adventure. However, fans can rest assured that some favorites will be returning, such as Justified star Timothy Olyphant as James Stacy.

As for fans of DiCaprio, they don’t have to worry. While the actor doesn’t have a 2026 movie release, he is currently filming a Martin Scorsese film called What Happens at Night with co-star Jennifer Lawrence. A release date has not been given for the DiCaprio-Lawrence movie, but I’m stoked to hear whether or not he brought his parents to set again!

Many of the best video game movies have come in recent years, including Simon McQuoid's Mortal Kombat. That movie (which is streaming with an HBO Max subscription) finally gave the beloved franchise an R-rated movie adaptation, complete with gnarly fatalities. Its sequel will introduce Karl Urban's Johnny Cage, and the actor spoke to CinemaBlend about bringing his character's campy fake movie to life for the impending blockbuster.

What we know about Mortal Kombat II has been limited, but McQuoid is back behind the camera and bringing in more beloved fighters from the games. Case in point: Karl Urban as Johnny Cage, and as you can see in the video above, I had the chance to speak with him ahead of the film's release. I asked about filming a faux movie that used to introduce Johnny, and he told me:

Honestly, I see it. In the clip from Uncaged Fury, we go from the R-rated Mortal Kombat world to a hilariously campy fake movie starring Urban's character. He took inspiration from Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon a Time In Hollywood, where we got to see his character Rick Dalton in some movies within the movie. The tone got to briefly change, and Urban absolutely chewed the scenery throughout this sequence in Mortal Kombat II.

But Leo wasn't the only person that the Star Trek actor took inspiration from for Uncaged Fury. In fact, he stole a move from Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones. As he told me:

Ridiculously hilarious, maybe. While the majority of Mortal Kombat is full of thrilling action and gory fatalities, Johnny Cage's fake movie provided some camp and comedy to the proceedings. You can see a clip from that sequence below:

Johnny Cage is a comedic presence throughout the Mortal Kombat video games, and this faux movie scene is a great nod to this history. And even outside of Uncaged Fury, Urban brought plenty of zingers to life in the sequel film. Luckily, the wait is nearly over for both casual and hardcore MK fans.

Mortal Kombat II will hit theaters on May 8th as part of the 2026 movie release list. Karl Urban crushed it bringing Johnny Cage to life, including his signature nutcracker punch from the games.

With a movie like The Wolf of Wall Street, it may be easy to assume the wildest moments were confined to the screen, and, in a lot of ways they were. However, there were still some unbelievable off-screen moments. They have all seemingly come out over the years, as the Wolf of Wall Street cast has recounted their experience making the film. However, it seems like there are still stories to tell as Martin Scorsese and Jonah Hill recently recounted a hilarious one that involved Leonardo DiCaprio, a woman covered in money and an upset home owner.

Scorsese recently chatted with Hill for Interview Magazine, where they talked about working together on Hill’s third directorial effort, Outcome. The two met working on Wolf of Wall Street, and Scorsese makes an unforgettable cameo in the 2026 movie schedule entry.

While Hill and Scorsese had a lot to chat about, including the directing process they both now share, the conversation quickly turned to their Wolf of Wall Street experience. They revealed that while shooting a scene where the characters attempted to smuggle money out of the country by taping it to a Swiss woman, the person who owned the house they were shooting in tried to kick them out. That house in question also originally belonged to the film's real-life subject, Jordan Belfort. As Hill and Scorsese explained:

• Martin Scorsese: "And then we had to get out because the man who owned the house was really getting mad at us."
• Jonah Hill: "For context, the guy who owned Jordan Belfort’s house was desperate to get us out. He goes, ‘Guys, I’ve got to get back in my fucking office. Ten minutes ago you said you’d be out of here.’ Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese are shooting a scene in your office. A woman has money taped to her breasts. What do you have to do that’s cooler than this?"
• Scorsese: "And I’m saying, ‘How the hell do you want me to get her out of here? She’s got money taped all over her.’"

I actually can’t imagine trying to kick Martin Scorsese and the cast and crew of Wolf of Wall Street out of my residence. The notion of that team shooting a scene in my presence is an absolute dream but, apparently, this man saw it as a terrible inconvenience. Given the man's feelings, it's hard not to wonder how he was convinced to let the crew shoot in the house in the first place. While Hill pointed out that he still had no idea what was so important that the guy felt the need to kick out such cinematic legends, he admitted that the crew was running over time:

Although the cast and crew may have been a pain in the behind to this guy, I think it was all worth it. The scene in question is hilarious, and the fact that it's all shot at Jordan Belfort's former home is the icing on the cake. From a technical perspective, it's also hard to beat the natural lighting.

Getting yelled at was clearly a small price to pay for the space. It also made for a great story and, as mentioned, there are plenty of those when it comes to WOWS. This anecdote can be added to the list of unbelievable stories shared over the years, like the crew actually shaving an extra’s head or Margot Robbie slapping DiCaprio during her audition. Overall, this sounds like one of the coolest, most off-beat movie sets of all time, and I hope even more stories come out in the years to come.

Check out The Wolf of Wall Street now, as it's currently streaming with a Paramount+ subscription. Fans of Jonah Hill should also check out his new movie, Outcome, which is now available with an Apple TV subscription.

Last weekend during the 98th Academy Awards, if you were looking closely, you might have noticed Leonardo DiCaprio and his model girlfriend, Vittoria Ceretti, were side-by-side at the ceremony watching the 2026 Oscar winners get announced. It’s a rare move for DiCaprio, who typically brings his mom regardless of his relationship status. So, what’s going on with these two? Well, an insider is dropping details on how this relationship from ones DiCaprio has had in the past.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Vittoria Ceretti have been together for two and a half years, and a source “close to the actor” recently spoke to People about the A-lister's relationship. If this person is to be believed, Ceretti and DiCaprio joint appearance at the Oscars is an indication of where their relationship is at. In the insider’s words:

Over the years, DiCaprio has earned a reputation of dating women in their early 20s. It's also been said that the 51-year-old has never been with a partner while they were in their 30s or over and has primarily dated women specifically under 25. Ceretti is currently 27 years old, which shows he’s breaking a long-held pattern with partners, after being with Gigi Hadid prior to her, who was also 27 during their relationship.

Ages aside, the source is claiming that DiCaprio “genuinely cares” for the Italian model and is much more “openly affectionate” with her than his friends have seen him with his previous girlfriends. Along with her appearance at the Oscars, Ceretti was also with DiCaprio at the One Battle After Another premiere in Los Angeles back in September, and she accompanied him during his New York press tour for the film.

Nearly a year ago, it was alleged that Ceretti had “become the priority” in DiCaprio’s life and that he’d never been “this in love or this devoted to a woman.” Based on these more recent comments, it seems they’ve only continued to grow as a couple since then. The insider also said this:

DiCaprio recently started filming his latest movie with Martin Scorsese, What Happens At Night, which co-stars Jennifer Lawrence. He certainly must be revived after his last movie, One Battle After Another, just one Best Picture over the weekend in a tight race with Sinners. The movie won a total of six Oscars, with writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson winning Oscar gold for the first time. (That actually follows an interesting pattern involving famed filmmakers finally getting wins specifically on DiCaprio-led movies.)

Per this latest information about DiCaprio’s relationship, it’s great to hear he and Ceretti are reportedly happy and in love. If all goes well, award show hosts like Nikki Glaser might even need to hang up DiCaprio dating jokes soon.

The 98th Academy Awards, which we covered extensively on our live-blog, have come and gone, and among the 2026 Oscar winners was beloved director Paul Thomas Anderson for One Battle After Another. With PTA’s win, an Oscar’s connection pops up that actually makes you stop and think. One very specific thing links the first Oscar wins of three wildly different directors: Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, and Paul Thomas Anderson. And no, it’s not a shared genre, a studio, or even a similar style.

All three filmmakers earned their first (and, so far, only) Academy Awards for movies starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Once you see it laid out, it’s hard to ignore. Their connection comes from these movies starring the former teen heartthrob:

• The Departed (Martin Scorsese)
• Titanic (James Cameron)
• One Battle After Another (Paul Thomas Anderson)

Three directors. Three very different careers. One surprisingly consistent through-line. DiCaprio.

The Leo Pattern Is Hard To Ignore

To be clear, these directors are not in the same position regarding their Award wins, though each of them, in my opinion, could be categorized as shocking Oscar wins.

Martin Scorsese famously had to wait decades before winning Best Director for 2007's The Departed, despite building one of the most respected filmographies in cinema history.

James Cameron, on the other hand, didn’t just win for Titanic; he dominated the Oscars with it, which led to his now infamous 'I'm the King of the World' speech. While his other films, like Avatar, have won Academy Awards across his career, his first major breakthrough and the only time he personally took home trophies came with a DiCaprio-led film.

The same goes for Paul Thomas Anderson. After years of critical acclaim and multiple nominations, One Battle After Another finally got him over the finish line, as he won Best Picture, Director and Adapted Screenplay. (Though I would hardly categorize it as one of PTA's best movies.) Like Cameron, his movies have won Oscars (Daniel Day-Lewis won for his performance in There Will Be Blood, for example). However, PTA's personal trophies didn't come to him until he worked with DiCaprio on OBAA.

So while their careers look very different on paper, there’s a strange overlap in how their Oscar stories actually played out.

The Leonardo DiCaprio Factor

What makes this even more ironic is Leo’s own Oscar history. Despite being at the center of these major wins, he only has one Academy Award himself, and it's for The Revenant. And notably, that win has nothing to do with any of the films that helped these directors secure their Oscars.

In other words, the Inception actor has been a key part of multiple Oscar-winning moments for directors, without personally winning for those same projects. That’s kind of wild.

It also says something about the roles he chooses. The Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood lead has built a career around working with filmmakers at pivotal moments, whether that’s helping bring massive projects like Titanic to life or collaborating on prestige films like The Departed and One Battle After Another.

He’s consistently in the mix when something big is happening, even if the awards don’t always land directly in his hands.

It’s easy to write this off as a quirky stat, but it also highlights how certain collaborations shape awards history in ways that aren’t always obvious. DiCaprio has spent years aligning himself with ambitious directors, and those partnerships have clearly paid off, even beyond his own accolades.

Three directors with multiple Oscars between them, and in each case, a Leonardo DiCaprio-led film played a key role in getting them there, especially when it came to that first big win. At the very least, it’s one of those connections that would make an awesome little piece of trivia at your next Oscar night party.

This year's best picture winner and the movie that got Paul Thomas Anderson his first Oscar, One Battle After Another, is streaming with an HBO Max subscription.

The 98th Academy Awards have officially come and gone from the 2026 TV Schedule, and Conan O’Brien absolutely crushed it with some genuinely great sketches throughout the night. Like most Oscar ceremonies, this one delivered big speeches, surprise wins and plenty of awkward moments. But, after Sinners and One Battle After Another spent the evening trading major wins and dominating the conversation, a candid interaction between Michael B. Jordan, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Benicio del Toro felt more memorable than much of what happened onstage.

The clip, shared by Us Weekly on Instagram, shows Jordan, DiCaprio, and del Toro embracing and congratulating each other after the ceremony. It’s a brief moment, but it says a lot. Jordan appears to be receiving congratulations following his big win, DiCaprio pulls him in for a full hug, and del Toro seems to kiss Jordan’s hand in a gesture that fans immediately interpreted as respect, affection or both.

Part of why the clip is so emotional is that Jordan had just won his first Oscar, taking Best Actor for his dual performance in Sinners. At the same time, One Battle After Another emerged as the night’s biggest overall winner, joining the ranks of Best Picture winners and finishing with six Oscars. In other words, these films really had spent the night duking it out.

Fans Are Really Feeling It In The Comments

The reactions under the clip quickly turned into their own little wave of Oscar-night discourse, only much sweeter than the usual “who was robbed?” debates. A lot of commenters fixated on how gracious DiCaprio seemed in the moment, while others were especially moved by del Toro appearing to kiss Jordan’s hand. And, yes, a lot of people just loved the overall vibe of mutual respect. Some of the standout comments included:

• @lisaingmarinelli: “Leo is such a class act.”
• @marietta_369: “The way Benicio kiss the hand of Jordan. ❤️ He is blessing him.”
• @saatattack: “Leo is an actor's actor. What a special moment between these 3 😍”
• @sqrl480: “When Leo fully embraced him and Benny kissing his had… 🥹❤️”
• @kat_cheairs: “Benicio is so kind! Met him once years ago. He radiated gentleness and light.”
• @drkeyah: “That’s a REAL hug ❤️”
• @kathe_stahl: “Brotherhood ❤️”
• @ebonyisthatdiva: “Well deserved 👏🏽 🙌🏽 Michael B Jordan”

That reaction makes even more sense when you consider what the night represented for everyone involved. Jordan’s Oscar win for Sinners was one of the most emotional highlights of the ceremony, while One Battle After Another still ended the night with the Academy’s biggest prize. So, even though the awards race had been fiercely competitive, all three actors had something meaningful to celebrate by the time the ceremony wrapped.

That’s probably why this backstage exchange lands so well. It feels like a reminder that after months of campaigning and one very intense night, there can still be plenty of room for generosity, admiration, and genuine respect between artists. Honestly, that may have been one of the best post-Oscars moments of the entire evening.

And the nice part is that fans can revisit both films themselves, since Sinners and One Battle After Another are streaming with an HBO Max subscription. On top of that, if you happened to miss the ceremony itself, the 98th Academy Awards are also available to stream with a Hulu subscription.

When it comes to many books, I'm late to the party. It's a hazard of having an ever-growing TBR and only so many hours in the day. But I do get to the ones I really want to read, which includes Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America. As a fan of some of Larson's other books, and having heard great things about this 2003 non-fiction account of the development of the 1893 World's Fair and H.H. Holmes' murder spree in Chicago, I knew this was going to be a good one, and I wasn't disappointed. Naturally, upon finishing the riveting tale, I was curious about the status of the book-to-screen adaptation, and here's the thing: as glad as I am that there are still plans to bring it to the screen, I really don't think it should be a movie.

As mentioned, the book covers two stories taking place at the same time, in the same place. It's as much about how the 1893 Chicago World's Fair (also known as the World's Columbian Exposition) came to be as it is about Holmes carrying out his murderous acts and various fraudulent activities. Before I get into why I really think TV–probably a limited series–is the way to go with this adaptation, let me break down the timeline highlights for this adaptation, because it's been literal years.

Key Bullet Points in the Devil in the White City Adaptation Timeline

• November 2010 (per THR): It's announced that Leonardo DiCaprio would star in and produce a film adaptation of The Devil in the White City.
• December 2011 (per Deadline): Warner Bros. Acquired the rights to the adaptation with DiCaprio to star and The Imitation Game's Graham Moore to pen the script for the movie.
• August 2015: Paramount Pictures nabbed the rights to the adaptation after Warner Bros. reportedly let them lapse (per Deadline). It's at this point that Martin Scorsese comes into the picture as director, with DiCaprio still set to star as H.H. Holmes. In December of 2016, Scorsese was quoted as saying that a script was in the works.
• February 2019: Scorsese and DiCaprio's adaptation was being developed as a series at Hulu, with Paramount Television set to produce.
• August 2022: Hulu reportedly ordered the adaptation to series with Keanu Reeves lined up to star as Daniel Burnham (the architect organizing the World's Fair). Sam Shaw was reported to be penning the adaptation and serving as showrunner and EP.
• October 2022: Reeves exited the Hulu series, and Todd Field was no longer lined up to direct.
• January 2025: A new report stated that the adaptation had moved to 20th Century, and that Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio were in talks for a film adaptation. As of this report, there wasn't a script for the movie.

As you can see, there've been quite a few ups and downs with the adaptation, including a switch from movie to series, then back to movie -- its current status. Far be it from me to complain about DiCaprio and Scorsese teaming up for another movie. If this gets made as it's presently expected to be made, I'm going to see it, even if it's 3+ hours long. But I really can't get past how much potential this story has as a limited series, and I'm far less optimistic that a movie can do the full story justice.

My Concerns About A Movie Adaptation

The main concern I have with a movie adaptation is that, even if it had a longer-than-average run-time, I worry that there won't be enough time to really dive into the fair side of the story, or more to the point, that the movie will give more screen time to Holmes' scheming and murders, while the World's Fair will be more of a background story.

There’s more character story to dive into on the former, so I’d understand it being the focus if that were to be the plan. And, don't get me wrong, I can see why many people might prefer Holmes' story to be at the forefront of the adaptation. But reading the book, I found myself really caught up in the hugeness of the World's Fair, the people who attended, the attractions that were on display, and all of the challenges it took to get the whole thing up and running.

With his research and telling, Larson really painted a picture of the city of Chicago and this massive event during this particular time period in U.S. history, which I think enhanced my appreciation of the way he told Holmes’ story. There's also the story involving the mayor's assassination near the end of the fair and the impact that had on the city, which is relevant and would need to be included.

There Are So Many Details A TV Show Could Showcase

There are things I would hate to see rushed, or worse, cut out completely for a movie. I can see a series covering the story of the fair, from the very start to the tragic conclusion, and weaving Holmes' story throughout each episode so that we're able to get the full picture of what happened and how impactful it all was.

It's entirely possible that a movie can achieve this, but I think about how great it would be to wait for each new episode, anticipating guest stars playing notable fair attendees like Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Helen Keller, and George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. (who built the Ferris wheel), and what new inventions and foods might be featured (Juicy Fruit gum! Pabst Blue Ribbon!).

Millions of people attended this fair over the months of its run. I just hope whatever adaptation is made can capture this event as more than just the backdrop to Holmes' story. If there's room for both stories to play out as they do in the book, I think this adaptation could be amazing. It's hard for me to see it working as a movie, but as I said, if Scorsese makes it, I’ll absolutely see it -- and at this point, given how long it's taking to bring the tale to the screen, I just hope it gets made -- but I'd love it if the next update told us this was back in development as a series.

The time is finally upon us. The 98th Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien, are this Sunday, and here at CinemaBlend, we’ve made our picks on who we think will take home the top eight categories of the night. Three of the categories (Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress) have clear-cut favorites amongst our staff. The remaining five (both screenplay awards, both supporting actor awards, and the award for Best Actor) are, quite honestly, very tricky to guess, because our opinions vary quite a bit.

The ceremony will be live on March 15th at 7pm ET on ABC, and available to stream live with a Hulu subscription. There are sure to be some surprises, but we’ve done our best to predict what we think will happen (though not necessarily our personal choices). We’ll start with the Best Screenplay Awards and work our way towards our pick for Best Picture, hitting all the acting awards and Best Director along the way. Each of our picks will be in bold among the list of nominees.

Best Adapted Screenplay

• Will Tracy for Bugonia
• Guillermo del Toro for Frankenstein
• Maggie O'Farrell and Chloe Zhao for Hamnet
• Paul Thomas Anderson for One Battle After Another – Our Predicted Winner
• Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar for Train Dreams

In our staff poll, the Best Adapted Screenplay choice is perhaps the most divisive. All five nominees were favored by at least one writer, and it was quite close between Hamnet, Frankenstein, and One Battle After Another. This highlights just how tricky this task can be, because it’s easy to make a case for any of the five. Ultimately, in a very tight poll, Paul Thomas Anderson came out on top for One Battle After Another.

Best Original Screenplay

• Robert Kaplow for Blue Moon
• Jafar Panahi and Nader Saivar for It Was Just An Accident
• Josh Safdie and Ronald Bronstein for Marty Supreme
• Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt for Sentimental Value
• Ryan Coogler for Sinners – Our Predicted Winner

Sinners set the record this year for the most Oscar nominations for a film ever, with 16, including this nomination for writer Ryan Coogler. The momentum for Sinners has only been growing as this very long awards season has gone on (thanks, Olympics). While the staff pick wasn’t as close as it was for Adapted, there was quite a bit of support for Marty Supreme and Sentimental Value, but in the end, Sinners came out on top. This isn’t quite a slam dunk, but it’s the most definitive of the five awards that weren’t easy picks for us.

Best Supporting Actor

• Benicio del Toro for One Battle After Another
• Jacob Elordi for Frankenstein
• Sean Penn for One Battle After Another
• Delroy Lindo for Sinners – Our Predicted Winner
• Stellan Skarsgård for Sentimental Value

This race has been truly all over the place. Del Toro started the season strong with a string of critics' awards, Elordi won at the Critics' Choice, Skarsgård won the Golden Globe, and Penn has come on strong late with wins at BAFTA and the Actor Awards (formerly The SAG Awards). Four of the five nominees were picked by at least two writers each, and though Lindo hasn’t really been in the conversation until very late, on the strength of Sinners and his amazing performance, he is a real contender now. In fact, he is now the frontrunner, in our opinion.

Best Supporting Actress

• Elle Fanning for Sentimental Value
• Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas for Sentimental Value
• Amy Madigan for Weapons
• Wunmi Mosaku for Sinners
• Teyana Taylor for One Battle After Another – Our Predicted Winner

Like Best Supporting Actor, the race for Best Supporting Actress has been a wild ride, but it seems to have come down to three: Madigan, Mosaku, and Taylor. Each of the three has taken home awards this season, and while our choice ultimately had quite a bit of support, it’s impossible to rule out one of the other two women winning. Two months ago, it seemed like Taylor was going to sweep the season, but Madigan and Mosaku clearly have a lot of momentum as we get to the end here. We still think Taylor is the favorite for One Battle After Another, but just barely. Madigan and Mosaku are considered the favorites by quite a few folks around here.

Best Actor

• Timothée Chalamet for Marty Supreme – Our Predicted Winner
• Leonardo DiCaprio for One Battle After Another
• Ethan Hawke for Blue Moon
• Michael B. Jordan for Sinners
• Wagner Moura for The Secret Agent

Now this is a fascinating race, and CinemaBlend’s poll reflects that. We asked the staff to name both who they would vote for and who they think will win. While the majority of staff have predicted Chalamet to win, a huge majority picked Michael B. Jordan as who they would have voted for, personally. It’s safe to say the race is between these two, and, in full disclosure, much of our polling took place before Jordan won at the Actor Awards. There seems to be a late surge happening in favor of the Sinners star. It would not surprise anyone if he takes home the Oscar, but we predict that Chalamet will win in what could be a historic victory.

Best Actress

• Jessie Buckley for Hamnet – Our Predicted Winner
• Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
• Kate Hudson for Song Sung Blue
• Renate Reinsve for Sentimental Value
• Emma Stone for Bugonia

Here’s where we’re getting to the Oscars that everyone on staff is most confident about in our predictions. In fact, in the Best Actress race, there haven’t been any surprises at all leading up to the Oscars. Jessie Buckley has completely swept the awards leading up to this Sunday, and there is no reason at all to think that will change at the Academy Awards. Buckley’s performance in Hamnet is incredible, and it’s hard to imagine anyone sneaking in and winning this over her. Stone and Byrne did receive some support from the CinemaBlend staff, but an overwhelming majority picked Buckley to win Best Actress.

Best Director

• Paul Thomas Anderson for One Battle After Another – Our Predicted Winner
• Ryan Coogler for Sinners
• Josh Safdie for Marty Supreme
• Joachim Trier for Sentimental Value
• Chloe Zhao for Hamnet

Like Best Actor, the race for Best Director comes down to two men, Ryan Coogler and Paul Thomas Anderson. All season long, the general consensus is that this is PTA’s time and he’s going to walk away with the win. Our prediction is no different, as a huge majority of our staff believe that this is Anderson’s award to lose. Could he, though? Well, interestingly, yeah, he could. As with Michael B. Jordan, when we ask the staff for their favorite, most picked Coogler as their personal choice, even if almost everyone still predicted PTA to win.

Best Picture

• Bugonia
• F1: The Movie
• Frankenstein
• Hamnet
• Marty Supreme
• One Battle After Another – Our Predicted Winner
• Sentimental Value
• Sinners
• Train Dreams
• The Secret Agent

It has gotten trickier and trickier to predict Best Picture over the years. Sure, there are times like two years ago when everyone pretty much knew that Oppenheimer was going to take home the biggest prize of the night. But then there are ones like last year when Anora came on very strong at the end of awards season, but was a little bit of a dark horse on Oscar night. This year could be either.

The strong consensus of the CinemaBlend staff is that One Battle After Another will win Best Picture, but as in a couple of categories, a majority of the staff picked Sinners as their personal favorite. This isn’t surprising, after all, Sinners was our choice for the best movie of 2025. The late momentum for Sinners has turned this award into a real nail-biter, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see Ryan Coogler on stage accepting the award at the end of the night. However, as a group, we have to stick with our prediction, given that all but three staff members picked One Battle to win (interestingly, the other votes all went to Hamnet).

You can go to our list of the 98th Academy Awards nominees to see who could win in every category, including all the technical ones, and everything else. Other than KPop Demon Hunters winning Best Animated Feature and “Golden” from that movie winning Best Song (sorry again, Diane Warren) being pretty much foregone conclusions, there are close races in every single category.

Keep an eye out for our live blog as well, as we will be reacting along with everyone else when the winners are announced.

When Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hit theaters back in 2016, plenty of fans had strong opinions about the movie. One of the loudest debates centered on Jesse Eisenberg stepping into the role of Lex Luthor, especially since audiences were used to a very different version of the villain. Now, nearly a decade later, director Zack Snyder is opening up about fans' reaction to that film and how that casting decision came together as well as why he chose Eisenberg over the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Adam Driver.

During a recent appearance on the Happy Sad Confused Podcast hosted by Josh Horowitz, Snyder recalled how a few major names were part of early discussions before Eisenberg ultimately landed the part. As mentioned in past interviews, DiCaprio and Driver were among the performers he could imagine shaping the role of Luthor. As he tells it:

Snyder has talked before about wanting a different kind of Luthor for his now-defunct DC Extended Universe. Instead of the classic older corporate mastermind popularized by actors like Gene Hackman, the filmmaker envisioned a younger, tech-era billionaire whose intellect came with a dangerous edge. That’s where Eisenberg clicked for him. The 300 director continued:

The choice was bold and, as Snyder has acknowledged in other interviews, it wasn’t universally embraced at the time. Many had been fan-casting everyone from Bryan Cranston to Daniel Day-Lewis as the iconic DC villain. As a result, Eisenberg’s jittery, tech-bro interpretation caught many people off guard.

Even the studio reportedly needed some convincing before fully getting on board with the casting. Of course, another factor may have shaped how audiences reacted. Snyder noted that Eisenberg’s Luthor doesn’t appear with the character’s traditional bald look until the final moments of the film. Finally, he added:

I believe BvS does a lot of things well but, love or hate Eisenberg’s version of Lex Luthor, one thing is sure: it was definitely not the safe option. Of course, that was largely the point. Snyder has often said the goal with Batman v Superman was to swing big with a mythic, operatic tone. That approach extended all the way down to his reimagining of one of Superman’s most famous enemies.

The new DC universe is currently moving forward with James Gunn in charge, but if you want to catch Eisenberg in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, along with all the Snyderverse films, stream them with an HBO Max subscription.

When it comes to celebrities and their love lives, many of them have developed a reputation for the kind of people they go after, and it’s not always the most flattering. Leonardo DiCaprio would fall into that category, as the 51-year-old’s penchant for dating women in their 20s was even joked about at the Golden Globes. Well, Lisa Rinna just spilled some hot tea, as she revealed that the One Battle After Another star has “hit up” her twentysomething daughters Amelia and Delilah.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star — who you can also see on the current season of The Traitors, streaming with a Peacock subscription — appeared on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live, where she confirmed or denied rumors about her life. When asked if Leonardo DiCaprio had ever approached either 27-year-old Delilah or 24-year-old Amelia, who Lisa Rinna shares with Harry Hamlin, she confirmed:

The 62-year-old Housewife wasn’t done, though. After Andy Cohen joked that it was something of a rite of passage for famous models in their 20s to catch the eye of the Titanic star, Rinna continued:

Andy Cohen confirmed that he knew of at least one more older guy who was apparently interested in Lisa Rinna’s daughters, though they kept the name under wraps.

Leonardo DiCaprio is currently dating 27-year-old model Vittoria Ceretti, who is only the latest in a line of younger women who have been attached to him, including Bar Refaeli, Gigi Hadid and Camila Morrone.

It’s not super surprising to hear that he and Tobey Maguire allegedly have similar interests in women. They’ve been friends for a long time as two members of the unfortunately named early aughts friend group the “Pussy Posse.” The Spider-Man star was even one of the murderers’ row of celebrities who attended Leo’s 50th birthday party in 2024, and both actors were reportedly part of the real-life poker game that inspired Aaron Sorkin’s Molly’s Game.

Tobey Maguire, 50, has also been reported to date younger women, as he was attached to Lily Chee, who was 20 at the time they allegedly dated in 2024, and 20-year-old influencer Mishka Silva, who he was seen with at Super Bowl LX earlier this month.

According to Lisa Rinna, though, the actors’ interest in her daughters was not reciprocated. Delilah has reportedly been dating actor Henry Eikenberry since 2023, while Amelia announced in late 2025 that she was dating Guess heir Nicolai Marciano.

Amelia Hamlin was previously in a relationship with Scott Disick — the father of Kourtney Kardashian’s three oldest children — who is 18 years older than Amelia. They dated for about a year, and much to Lisa Rinna’s delight, the couple broke up in 2021.

I have to wonder what Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire think of The Traitors star’s revelation — as well as her daughters! — but I guess you can always count on a Housewife to spill the tea.

After Leonardo DiCaprio’s relationship with model Camila Morrone ended in 2022, he stuck with his alleged 25-year-old dating rule with new love interest Vittoria Ceretti. The Italian model -- who's been with DiCaprio since 2023 -- is now 27, and speculation has arisen regarding whether the two might be the real deal. Now, as that relationship continues, an insider is dropping claims about how DiCaprio’s own mother might be having an impact on in her son’s romances.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Vittoria Ceretti appear to be going strong. Since they met, insiders claimed that DiCaprio allegedly prioritizes Ceretti over his “boys” by including her in everything. However, friends of the actor claim to RadarOnline that the reason the Titanic actor has never settled down with any of his partners over the years is due to the specific dynamics he has with his mother, Irmelin Indenbirken. On that note, an insider made the following claim about Indenbirken and DiCaprio:

Fans of Leonardo DiCaprio likely know the actor has been in plenty of short-term but high-profile relationships. In the mid-’90s, he dated Kristen Zang amid the Titanic buzz, but they broke up in 1998. There was also DiCaprio’s most famous ex, Gisele Bündchen, whose blunt thoughts on their 2005 split had to do with claims that he “stayed the same” while she was interested in “serious soul-searching.”

Then came other ladies throughout the years like Bar Refaeli, Blake Lively, Erin Heatherton, Toni Garrn, Kelly Rohrbach, Nina Agdal and Camila Morrone. While it’s long rumored that DiCaprio’s dating rule is allegedly tied to his partners reaching 25, RadarOnline's insider alleges that 51-year old DiCaprio also checks in with his mother on romantic matters and more:

To that point, sources claimed there was a little drama at this year's Golden Globes since the DiCaprio’s plus one was his mother and not Vittoria Ceretti. An insider claimed that the Italian model reportedly thought she’d be his date on the red carpet instead of Indenbirke and that the realization was allegedly “a real jolt” for her.

While Leonardo DiCaprio’s relationships have come and gone, it appears that his mother has reportedly been a constant presence. Here are more insider claims regarding the purported influence that Irmelin Indenbirke reportedly has over her son’s relationships:

Despite claims that DiCaprio’s mother is reportedly impacting his romantic endeavors, everything appears to be going fine between him and Vittoria Ceretti right now. In 2025, the pair partied at Jeff Bezos’ wedding with a bunch of other A-listers in Italy. The Inception actor even appears to trust his girlfriend, as he reportedly believed her kiss with actor Theo James for a Dolce & Gabbana commercial to be a “non-issue." So maybe Ceretti could be the one after all? We'll just have to wait and see.

Of course, while Leonardo DiCaprio's relationship remains a topic of discussion so does his film work from the last year. He's currently up for Best Actor at this year's Academy Awards for his performance in One Battle After Another. Find out if he gets the win by checking out the Oscars, which air on March 15 on ABC and stream with a Hulu subscription. Also, check out DiCaprio's work in One Battle After Another by streaming it with an HBO Max subscription.

One Battle After Another has been generating a lot of conversation since its release last September, and for good reason. Director Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest feature film has been met with critical acclaim, including ranking among CinemaBlend’s top 2025 movies and earning a whopping 13 Oscar nominations. Among the reasons One Battle After Another has been so praised so much is for its action-packed moments, including the thrilling car chase sequence. Prior to this, there’s also a scene where Leonardo DiCaprio’s Bob has to jump out of a moving car, and CinemaBlend learned how this particular stunt was changed at the last minute so it’d be less painful for the actor.

Bob is forced to make this dangerous exit from the car when he and Benicio del Toro’s Sergio drive by a police vehicle right as Bob is taking a sip of beer. With authorities now on their tail for drunk driving and Bob racing against the clock to rescue his daughter from Sean Penn’s Colonel Lockjaw, Sergio, who was behind the wheel instructed Bob to jump out of the car so the cops wouldn’t interfere with his mission. Leonardo DiCaprio did indeed jump out and fall into a ditch on the side of the road, but that wasn’t always where the stunt was going to take place. As Brian Mochleit, One Battle After Another’s stunt coordinator, told me:

First off, I assumed that a stunt double handled the actual jumping out of the car, so props to Leonardo DiCaprio for doing that himself. However, it sounds like if the production shot at the original location where Bob fell on concrete instead, Brian Mochleit would have tasked a stunt performer with that big moment. It’s hard enough to jump out of a car and land inside a ditch without getting injured, but you replace that with a concrete surface, it’s better to let the professionals do the job. The last thing we need is DiCaprio breaking any bones.

It’s fortunate that Mochleit spotted that dirt area just a few blocks away right before cameras started rolling on the car jump sequence. When I pointed out that stroke of good luck during the filming of One Battle After Another, he responded:

You can revisit Bob jumping out of the moving car and all the other craziness he endured during One Battle After Another by streaming the movie with your HBO Max subscription. Unfortunately, the Oscars’ stunt category won’t kick in until 2028, otherwise I feel like One Battle After Another would get recognition for its work in that field. However, you can see how it fares in its 13 nominated categories by watching the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday, March 15.

Once again, Leonardo DiCaprio has become a hilarious meme. After having an incredibly animated conversation with someone while the 2026 Golden Globe winners were being announced, the clip of the interaction went viral. Now, many are wondering who he was talking to and what the conversation was about. While some have opened up about it, the One Battle After Another star is keeping it tight-lipped, which is very on brand for him.

After the 2026 Oscar nominations were revealed, DiCaprio spoke to Deadline about them as well as his viral moment at the Golden Globes. For context, it seemed like the actor was speaking to someone about KPop Demon Hunters, however, when asked what he was really talking about, he said:

Now, his co-star Teyana Taylor thinks she was talking to him during this viral conversation that you can see below. She explained that they “might have been talking about KPop Demon Hunters” because it had won and her kids love the movie that can be streamed with a Netflix subscription. She also explained that she remembered “jamming so hard when ‘Golden’” was played. However, she didn’t realize the moment was captured on camera.

While Taylor’s response provided some clarity, the clip and Leo’s reaction during it still leaves me with questions. And one person who won’t be answering said questions is Leo. Proving that point, the Titanic actor said:

Well, there you have it, folks. If you want to know what Leonardo DiCaprio was talking about and who he was talking to, don’t go to him for the answer.

Honestly, it’s hilarious that he had this response. It’s also on brand. I mean, even during the Golden Globes, Nikki Glaser joked about DiCaprio and how we don’t know much about him. Literally, all I know about the actor is his filmography and the rumors surrounding his dating life that occasionally pop up. He typically does not talk about his personal life, and he doesn’t do too much press. So, yeah, it does make sense that he wouldn’t clarify what he was talking about at the Golden Globes either.

It’ll just have to remain a mystery, I guess.

However, one thing that’s very clear is the fact that the movie he’s in is receiving a lot of love. After One Battle After Another got rave reviews, the movie that’s currently available to stream with an HBO Max subscription has been an award show darling. It also got a bunch of Oscar nominations, including one for DiCaprio, so we’ll be seeing him at another award show soon.

Now, the question is: will he have another animated conversation that we won’t get to know about at The Academy Awards? Honestly, I hope so, because this has been the most fun mystery of this year’s award season.

Leonardo DiCaprio has had a storied film career. From starring in Titanic, to making films with Martin Scorsese, and headlining last year’s cinematic masterpiece One Battle After Another, DiCaprio continues to prove himself as THE actor of his generation. Now, he’s looking back at some of his most memorable performances, including The Wolf of Wall Street. The Oscar winner revealed that the film was a product of a very free set, and incredible improvisational work with Jonah Hill.

In a recent interview with Time Magazine for his Entertainer of the Year profile, DiCaprio opened up about some of his iconic movies, like The Revenant and even his stint on Growing Pains. Of course, you can’t talk about DiCaprio's roles without discussing Wolf of Wall Street. His chemistry with Jonah Hill is electric, and the duo even worked together again in a producing capacity later on. DiCaprio lauded his co-star for incredible improvisational work that ended up being what made the film so wild. He said:

This sentiment rings true based on what other people on set have said about Hill. In an interview with the late Rob Reiner last year, the legendary actor/director also praised the comedian for his superb improvisational skills. He also revealed one of the funniest scenes in The Wolf of Wall Street was improvised between himself and Hill. He told Interview Magazine:

The whole scene is absolutely iconic and so memorable. The Wolf in general is one of those movies you can turn on at any time, and at any point in the film and still have a good time. The entertainment value is high, while also being a tremendously well written film, even if some of that writing was seemingly done in the moment. DiCaprio credits a lot of the success of that film to the loose set that Scorsese created that allowed actors to play around with the material. He explained:

This sounds like an absolute blast. While there was a lot demanded of DiCaprio, like graphic sex scenes, winding monologues and quick comedic timing, it seems like he had an absolute blast. He speaks about that time in his life in the fondest way, and I’d love to see him do something that explosive again. He’s about to work with Scorsese again on What Happens at Night and maybe these two can recreate the same magic. Whatever it is, I can’t wait to see it.

You can revisit Jonah Hill and Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street, which is currently streaming with a Peacock subscription. Fans of DiCaprio should also check out his latest awards nominated performance in One Battle After Another which is now available with an HBO Max subscription.

If any movie is the king of James Cameron’s world, I think it's Titanic. While some claim his legacy is the Avatar franchise, with its latest installment Avatar: Fire and Ash currently in theaters, I respectfully disagree. That's because, no matter what movie the Aliens director promotes, he is almost always asked about Titanic, and one infamous door scene in particular. You know the one. Cameron recently dropped an F-bomb while expressing his exhaustion with the debate over Titanic’s raft scene (but I still have my doubts after his most recent rant).

Could Jack have fit on the door with Rose? It’s a question that has plagued Hollywood for decades. Titanic stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet have both been asked to answer the question in its resurgence, and of course, the Avatar director has been grilled on it a billion times. Even after he ran a series of scientific experiments to prove Jack couldn’t survive, people continued to question him. Now, he’s trying to squash the debate once and for all on The Hollywood Reporter’s Award Chatter Podcast with an expletive to add some extra umph to his argument:

It’s true, after performing all those scientific scenarios with stunt doubles, Cameron and co. admitted there was a small chance Jack could have survived if they had both sat on the raft, out of the water, instead of Rose lying down. But as Cameron points out, Jack wasn’t exactly a scientific trailblazer:

The Terminator director has previously said it wouldn’t matter anyway if Jack could fit on the door or not. In the end, Rose did have to let go–Jack had to die. While Jack and Rose may be fictional characters, the tragic end to their story was very real for the majority of the passengers on the Titanic. Without his heroic death, you render the movie “meaningless,” as Cameron puts it.

So I understand his frustration, I do. The continued debate of the raft is kind of a middle finger to his whole movie–just proving year after year that people are missing the point entirely. However, I think he might just need to give in and play along. I personally think it’s a tired debate. At this point, though, I think some people are just bringing it up to get a rise out of him.

The True Lies filmmaker can drop as many F-bombs as he likes, unfortunately for him, I don’t believe this debate will ever die. It’s a classic conversation starter at parties, among friends, and even on game shows. The problem doesn’t lie in the science, it lies in the fact that people like Margot Robbie don’t like to watch its sad, tragic ending. Which is totally fine, but James Cameron doesn’t want to hear it anymore, guys! Seriously, maybe we should just let him make his upcoming projects in peace.

All eyes were on the 2026 Golden Globe winners that were crowned this past weekend but, all the while, stars who didn’t receive trophies turned heads as well, including Leonardo DiCaprio. The One Battle After Another star drew the attention of viewers and social media users when he had an animated exchange with someone during a commercial break. Many have since been trying their hardest to decipher what DiCaprio was saying. Now, his co-star, Teyana Taylor is shedding some light on that viral clip.

Leonardo DiCaprio – who was the subject of jokes made by host Nikki Glaser – caught people’s attention when he was filmed speaking across to someone from his table. While he did so, the Oscar winner’s face gave off a myriad of expressions that were ripe with meme potential. The Golden Globes actually shared the footage to TikTok by way of a video that currently has more than 220,000 likes. Take a look at the funny clip for yourself:

While in pursuit of answers regarding the context of DiCaprio’s conversation, Access Hollywood caught up with Teyana Taylor at the premiere of her 2026 movie schedule release, The Rip. In a funny turn of events, Taylor revealed that her co-star was talking to her during that viral moment. The “How You Want It?” singer recalled that the conversation started after DiCaprio saw her “jamming” during the Globes. Apparently, Taylor’s enthusiasm was brought on by a win earned by one of 2025’s biggest movies:

Never underestimate the popularity of KPop Demon Hunters! In Taylor’s defense, the creative team behind that animated fantasy flick as well as the fanbase had quite a bit to celebrate last Sunday. KPop not only scored the award for Best Motion Picture – Animated, it also won Best Original Song – Motion Picture for “Golden.” On that note, Taylor shared more details on how she reacted when the viral song snagged the trophy that night:

Camera operators definitely cover a lot of ground during awards shows, so I’m not too surprised they were able to get at least a portion of the exchange between Leonardo DiCaprio and Teyana Taylor. Also, it’s worth mentioning that both Taylor and DiCaprio had a few reasons to celebrate during the Globes. Taylor won Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture, after which she gave a speech and shouted out “little black girls.” One Battle After Another director Paul Thomas Anderson also won Best Director, while the film as a whole was awarded Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.

I’d argue that there are plenty of reasons why this year’s Golden Globes ceremony will be long remembered, and DiCaprio’s conversation will definitely be one of them. He’s been the center of memes and gifs before, but this latest funny moment just further cements him within social media culture. Check out DiCaprio and Taylor in One Battle After Another, which is now streamable with an HBO Max subscription.

The Golden Globes are considered one of the first big awards shows of the season, but the event is also something of a Hollywood roast, with many of the event’s hosts taking direct aim at the nominees (and eventual winners) with some pretty cutting barbs. This year's host Nikki Glaser has been no exception and many of her jokes this year have gone viral. But if you think these were bad, wait until you see what she didn’t say.

Glaser made an appearance on The Howard Stern Show, where she took a few minutes to go through a shortlist of the jokes from her opening monologue that did not make the final cut. Her first snipped-out joke was aimed at Sydney Sweeney and her movie, Christy, which was seen as a major 2025 box office flop. Glaser said:

Maybe Glaser felt bad about drawing attention to such a significant bomb in the career of Sydney Sweeney. Of course, that movie is likely already in her rearview mirror, considering that she followed it with a major hit in The Housemaid, a movie which already has a sequel in development.

You can’t really talk about the last year in Hollywood without talking about AI, and Nikki Claser certainly had that on her list of jokes. Although her focus was less about the A.I. “actress” that was introduced and more a shot at Hollywood power structures when she said:

Some targets are evergreen for comedians, and one is Leonardo DiCaprio’s love life. The One Battle After Another star is known for dating women who are becoming increasingly younger than he is. Glaser actually did make a joke about DiCaprio’s girlfriends, but one that she almost made went:

One up-and-coming star nearly had his name dropped by Nikki Glaser as the comedian had a joke all lined up regarding Jonathan Bailey being named Sexiest Man Alive. Although, as with the A.I. joke, the aim wasn’t really at Bailey, but at others, many of whom were probably in the room when she would have said:

While some comedians don’t really seem to care about the way their jokes might be taken, Nikki Glaser has admitted that when she realizes she’s gone too far, she clearly isn’t trying to upset anybody. That doesn’t mean the jokes aren’t without humor. Check out these, and some other cut jokes in the clip below.

Some of these jokes may have been cut for simply not being as funny as other jokes. Others may have been seen as two mean to too likely to cause problems. Glaser still likely made a few people at the Golden Globes uncomfortable, and if she returns to host again, that’s unlikely to change.

The opening monologue is traditionally an opportunity for the host to perform a bit of light roasting, and Nikki Glaser didn’t disappoint in kicking off the 2026 Golden Globes. She took aim at a number of celebrities in the audience, from Dwayne Johnson to Hans Zimmer, but she arguably saved her hottest burn for Leonardo DiCaprio – pointing at the fact that he likes to date women that are much younger than him. It’s not super original material, as other comedians have made similar jokes at the actor’s expense, but to Glaser’s credit, she also made a good point about why it’s extremely difficult to make fun of the One Battle After Another star.

First mocking the Paul Thomas Anderson film by calling it One Man Bun After Another, Glaser’s joke began with high praise for DiCaprio’s career, which has included a number of award wins… but then she dropped the punchline aiming at his dating proclivities. Said the comedienne,

Now 51, DiCaprio’s tendency to date women younger than him has been a subject of pop culture conversation for decades now, and that includes his current girlfriend, Italian model Vittoria Ceretti, who turned 27 last June. This proclivity has been joked about widely, from award shows to late night to Dionne Warwick’s Twitter account.

Because it’s such old material, the joke normally wouldn’t be worth writing about – Glaser was ultimately able to sell it with her follow-up material. She first acknowledged that the bit is a bit played out, and then she offered an excuse as to why she couldn’t come up with anything better (citing legitimate research in the process):

Leonardo DiCaprio’s limited public profile is definitely not an accident. In an interview he gave just last year, he mentioned that he makes a specific effort in his life to “disappear” as much as he can and only make himself a public presence when he has something to say. As a result of this, we really only know about the work he does, his environmental philanthropy, and yes, his tendency to date women younger than him.

For what it’s worth, we may see far more of Leonardo DiCaprio in the near future than we’re used to. As far as being in front of the camera is concerned, he has only been in five movies going back to 2015 (The Revenant, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, Don’t Look Up, Killers of The Flower Moon and One Battle After Another), but this year will see him make both Martin Scorsese’s What Happens At Night and Michael Mann’s Heat 2. Will it also be a time when we get to learn more about him personally? I doubt it, but time will tell.

While One Battle After Another may be chiefly known as Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest movie, another Leonardo DiCaprio-led vehicle and even one of the best movies of 2025, it’s also notable for being actress Chase Infiniti’s film debut. Infiniti stars as Willa Ferguson, the daughter of DiCaprio’s Bob Ferguson, who gets kidnapped by the military officer who had also been in a relationship with her mother. It turns out that before being cast in One Battle After Another, Infinity had never seen Titanic, one of DiCaprio’s most popular movies. That said, I do approve of the movie of his that did make her starstruck with him.

Chase Infiniti is back on the press circuit for One Battle After Another following it being met with critical acclaim and numerous accolades, including earning eight Golden Globe nominations. Infiniti, who’s been nominated in the upcoming awards ceremony’s Best Actress – Musical or Comedy category, had this to say when asked by W Magazine if she’d seen Titanic by the time she’d done her first chemistry read with Leonardo DiCaprio:

Better late than never on seeing Titanic, and if you’re in the same boat as Chase Infinity once was, or you just feel like rewatching the epic historical romance that co-starred Kate Winslet, it can be streamed with either a Netflix subscription or Paramount+ subscription. More importantly, I’m so glad she shouted out Catch Me If You Can. Like her, I also watched it before I saw Titanic.

Released in 2002 and directed by Steven Spielberg, Catch Me If You Can is the film adaptation of former con man Frank Abagnale Jr.’s semi-autobigjorpahical book. Leonardo DiCaprio played the young Abagnale, where he conned millions of dollars out of people by pretending to be a Pan Am pilot, doctor and prosecutor, all while still a teenager. DiCaprio was joined in Catch Me If You Can by Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, Nathalie Baye, Amy Adams and James Brolin, among others. It can also be streamed on Paramount+.

While I wouldn’t call Catch Me If You Can an obscure movie by any means, I do think it’s one of the entries on Leonardo DiCaprio’s filmography that doesn’t get as much attention as it should. Regardless, it’s great that Chase Infiniti is a fellow fan, to the point that she geeked out about the Academy Award-winning actor because of that role. Of course, now she and DiCaprio, who’s also up for a Golden Globe this year, have the bond they formed in One Battle After Another to supersede that.

We’ll see how One Battle After Another does in its nominated categories when the 83rd Golden Globes airs both on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ this Sunday. Chase Infiniti’s next movie is the coming-of-age drama The Julia Set, which began filming later this year, and she’s also starring in The Handmaid’s Tale spinoff The Testaments, which premieres on the 2026 TV schedule in April. As for Leonardo DiCaprio, it’s looking like his next movie will be Heat 2, though his role remains undisclosed.

Here's the interesting thing about Leonardo DiCaprio's career - Your favorite movie of his is likely tied to when you were at your most impressionable. I'll explain.

For many, their hearts will always go on for his performance as Jack in Titanic. For other, later fans, it might be Inception, The Revenant, or Django Unchained when they first fell in love with Leo. But for me (and here's the weird thing), my favorite film of his came quite a bit later in my life.

That's because my favorite Leonardo DiCaprio movie is 2021's Don't Look Up. I know it's not the most conventional, or even the most beloved–we gave it a pretty low review at the time–pick for a favorite film of his, but I still love it, and here's why.

When Do We Ever Get To See DiCaprio Play A Bumbling Character This Far In His Career?

Leonardo DiCaprio has a pretty wide range. He played an individual with an intellectual disability in What's Eating Gilbert Grape, an ex-revolutionary in the recent One Battle After Another, a conniving stockbroker in The Wolf of Wall Street, and a dream thief in Inception. What range!

However, how often do we get to see a less-than-confident Leo playing a scientist? Not only that, but how often - nowadays, anyway - do we see a Leo who nobody takes seriously, even though he's one of the smartest people in the room? Let me tell you. As someone who has seen almost every single Leonardo DiCaprio movie (Celebrity has somehow escaped me), I can tell you that this is a Leo I haven't seen in any other film.

And I LIKE this Leo. Yes, the character lets celebrity (no pun intended) get to his head, and he's unfaithful to his wife, but this is such a different turn for DiCaprio that it's one that I kind of cherish.

Some of my all-time favorite performances of his come from Martin Scorsese films (namely Killers of the Flower Moon, where he plays another less-than-capable man), but this is still my favorite performance of his because it’s just so…goofy! Which brings me to my next point.

The Story Is A Comedy, But There's A Lot Of Truth To It

In our original review of the film, we noted that it’s a satire, and that satire “is really hard,” given the current state of things (and listen, I'll keep this article as apolitical as possible). Even so, there’s still a lot of truth to this comedy from 2021, especially now that A.I. has become such a major part of our lives. It’s to the point where we're no longer sure what we can trust, and now we might form opinions based on things that may not even be real.

In the film, Jennifer Lawrence's character, Kate Dibiasky, finds a comet heading toward Earth, and her advisor, Dr. Randall Mindy (DiCaprio), confirms that, yeah, we’re screwed. They try to warn people, going all the way up to the President, played by Meryl Streep, but everybody downplays the incoming doom, choosing rather not to look up at the comet (hence the title).

Now, even though the events that follow are funny (I think so, at least), there’s a lot of truth to the general population choosing to ignore the truth, since the truth can be scary. Though this post-pandemic film was more of a commentary on climate change, I think the same could apply to our current march toward A.I.

Humanity is on the brink of something that will likely change the world forever, and instead of heeding the warnings (I mean, entertainment has been trying to tell us what will happen if we give A.I. control for years), we're instead laughing at obviously fake videos of Pikachu in Star Wars. So, yeah, this movie is still relevant!

It's Also Got An All-Star Cast Outside Of DiCaprio

Would this film be as memorable without its all-star cast? Probably not, which is why I'm glad that it has it. Outside of the aforementioned DiCaprio, Lawrence, and Streep, it also stars Jonah Hill, Cate Blanchett, Timothee Chalamet, Tyler Perry, and so many more! I mean, Ariana Grande is in this movie because…well, why not? She plays a pop star in the film, so you know, fitting.

What’s great about this film is that all of the characters are willing to play doofuses, and they’re all really funny. I especially like Mark Rylance, who plays a mix of Steve Jobs and Elon Musk. He’s really spacey, and yet, the President thinks he has the best plans because he’s rich, which, again, I’m trying not to be political here, but I think he plays a character who doesn’t feel too far removed from people who might actually exist.

Plus, the great thing is that all of the actors have their moment to shine. Michael Chiklis is in the film as a host of a partisan political show, and it’s not the biggest role in the world, but he makes it count. The same goes for Kid Cudi, who becomes attached to Grande’s pop star character. It’s not a big part, but a memorable one.

They’re all, in fact, memorable, making this one of the better ensemble films that I can think of.

It Never Takes Itself Seriously, Unlike Most Of DiCaprio's Other Films

Do you know what Leonardo DiCaprio movie I want to like, but don’t? The Revenant. Yes, I know. It is the movie for which he won his Best Actor trophy, and I think Leo does an excellent job in it. That said, it’s just too hard to watch for me. I mean, there’s no levity whatsoever in the film, and barely any hope. For some films, I can take that, but for this one, I just feel like it’s too serious for its own good.

The same goes for Revolutionary Road. I mean, I actually do like that film, and quite a bit, but it’s just so dang serious. I much prefer tonally lighter fare for Leo, like Django Unchained (Yes, a movie about slavery), Catch Me If You Can, or Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. In other words, I like serious films that might not take themselves too seriously. That’s when I most enjoy Leo in.

Well, Don’t Look Up is full-on silly. The world is going to be obliterated, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously, which makes sense since Adam McKay of Step Brothers and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy fame directed it. But, unlike those aforementioned films, which are pure comedies, Don’t Look Up shares more in common with Vice or The Big Short in that it feels like it has something to say.

Which might be why it was up for film’s highest honor at the Academy Awards, which I’ll get into last.

It Got Nominated For Best Picture For A Reason!

Now, a lot of people may say that 2022 was one of the weaker years for the Academy Awards, and that’s fine. One of the weaker PTA films, Licorice Pizza (which I’ve come to now like), was up for Best Picture, and CODA, while a good film with lots of great inclusion, actually won Best Picture.

Okay, maybe it wasn’t as stacked a year as 2026 will likely be for contenders. Even so, Don’t Look Up was up for Best Picture, and I think it deserved the nom.

One, it’s funny. Two, it’s still topical. And three, it has a lot of great performances, making it my favorite Leonardo DiCaprio movie.

Leonardo DiCaprio is the epitome of a Hollywood movie star. He’s always seen up on the big screen in box office hits like Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, Killers of the Flower Moon and Titanic. Following the theatrical release of his most recent action thriller, One Battle After Another, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, DiCaprio is expressing his concern about the future of movie theaters, and I’m right there with him.

As an environmental activist, DiCaprio is used to fighting for endangered species, but there’s something else on the verge of extinction that hits the Revenant star close to home: movie theaters. Streaming has rapidly changed the way Hollywood makes and releases film and TV in the past six-seven years, and the Inception actor voiced out loud to The Times what many of us are thinking:

Presumably, DiCaprio is referencing the fact that sources reportedly told Deadline Netflix wants movies in theaters for only 17 days or so before moving to streaming. With Netflix having recently acquired Warner Bros. in a bidding battle against Paramount, it’s very possible we could see that dramatic shift the Titanic actor is talking about happen this year.

While nostalgic remakes and cinematic phenomena like Barbenheimer, Top Gun Maverick, and Superman have done wonders to revive movie theater attendance in the years following the COVID-19, box office numbers are still recovering six years post-pandemic, when the streaming renaissance really took off. Box Office Mojo reports that the gross income for theaters in 2025 was still about $3 million short of the average pre-pandemic.

Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos claims the streaming giant is not against movies being shown in theaters, pointing to a handful of Netflix projects, including the Stranger Things 5 finale, that were presented as such in 2025. However, with Stranger Things only being limited to two days on the big screen, it feels more like a bonus cash grab for Netflix rather than support for the shared cinematic experience.

Sarandos said (via Variety) that he plans to uphold Warner Bros’ theatrical deal, with movies from the studio releasing first in theaters. Still, shortening the life of films in cinemas would still be detrimental to the theater industry.

The Wolf of Wall Street actor has always had success with his films, especially the six he’s done with Martin Scorsese. But with the possible precedent being set of movies only being in theaters for a little over two weeks, big names won’t be enough to get people through the doors. Even One Battle After Another failed to break even, causing Leonardo DiCaprio to make a plea for the future of his beloved art form:

Considering how DiCaprio's career exploded off the blockbuster Titanic, I can see how this fear of the changing landscape would hit close to home for him. Personally, as a frequent moviegoer, I too fear a day where the national theater chains go under, and films are no longer accessible in person. There’s a certain magic to seeing a movie on the big screen that streaming at home can’t compete with. I will say, it comforts me to know that influential Hollywood figures like DiCaprio and DC Studios head James Gunn are committed to keeping the theatrical experience alive.

So be sure to keep a close eye on what’s coming up on the 2026 movie schedule so you can grab your friends and family to support your local theater!

Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese have had a good thing going ever since they first worked together on 2002’s Gangs of New York. The duo have teamed up on seven feature films and have more lined up, so needless to say that these men know each quite well. So when DiCaprio offers advice about working with Scorsese that sounds like it came from 1999, you better heed it, no matter how archaic it sounds.

DiCaprio, star of the 2025 movie release One Battle After Another, shared this advice while speaking with Jennifer Lawrence, who starred this year in Die My Love, as part of Variety’s Actors on Actors series. The two actors previously worked together on the Netflix subscription-exclusive Don’t Look Up, and they’ll reunite under the supervision of Martin Scorsese for the film adaptation of the Peter Cameron-penned novel What Happens at Night. This will be Lawrence’s first time working with Scorsese, so when she asked DiCaprio what she should know about the filmmaker ahead of time, he answered:

Look, Martin Scorsese is 83 years old and has been making movies for nearly 60 years, starting with 1967’s Who’s That Knocking at My Door. I’m not surprised if he’s not subscribed to any of the best streaming services; the man’s entitled to watch movies however he wants, so all power to him for still using DVDs. At least they’re still being sold, unlike VHS tapes. Maybe he’s like Christopher Walken and has special DVDs sent to him so he can watch stream-exclusive content.

It’d be great to be in Jennifer Lawrence’s position, as I’d welcome getting a first row seat to Martin Scorsese going over his film references and gladly break out my old DVD player. Who knows, depending on how What Happens at Night turns out, maybe this will lead to the actress and director collaborating again, whether or not Leonardo DiCaprio is involved. It’s also worth mentioning that DiCaprio will also work with Scorsese again, this time alongside Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, in an untitled movie that follows organized crime in Hawaii.

DiCaprio and Lawrence have both earned Golden Globe nominations for the respective performances in One Battle After Another and Die My Love. Find out how they do when the awards ceremony airs on the 2026 TV schedule January 11th on both CBS and Paramount+.

In the history of Hollywood, there are those movies that, for whatever reason, become icons of their era. These aren't necessarily the best movies, but the movies that everybody remembers as something special in some way. Michael Mann’s Heat is one of those films that has only seemed to grow in popularity over the years. This is why a lot of people are sort of freaking out over the fact that Heat 2 is seemingly really happening.

Heat 2 is one of those projects that has obtained mythic status. Fans have wanted it for decades. For just as long, it seemed unlikely, but now the movie has begun coming together. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer has spoken about the plans for Heat 2, and it sounds like fans who won’t believe it until it really starts filming won’t have too much longer to wait. Speaking with HeyUGuys, the producer simply said…

Obviously, the word “hopefully" there would indicate that nothing is set in stone, and that production on Heat 2 happening in August isn’t a guarantee. Still, the fact that the movie has a window of time it is eyeing means that a start is close enough on the horizon that there is a current timeline in mind.

When it comes to the question of what might be the determining factor in when Heat 2 starts filming, Jerry Bruckheimer drops two names: the potential star, Leonardo DiCaprio, and the writer/director, Michael Mann. Bruckheimer continued…

More than likely, when Jerry Buckheimer calls DiCaprio a “key element,” he means that the movie may need to shift its schedule to accommodate him. If some other project of Leo’s ends up making shooting Heat 2 in August impossible, then rather than cast another actor, the movie will delay its production. The same goes for Michael Mann. Clearly nobody else will be considered to direct this one, since it’s based on a screenplay written by Mann, which was based in turn on a book the director wrote himself.

Heat 2 the book functions as both a prequel and a sequel, with the story being told in a non-linear form, jumping between time periods before and shortly after the events of the original film. While the movie is directly connected to the original, the roles will all be played by different actors. DiCaprio is expected to take on the role originated by the late Val Kilmer, while Christian Bale has also reportedly been in talks for a major role. Adam Driver and Austin Butler are also rumored to be involved, but it’s unclear how likely that is at this point.

Even if filming on Heat 2 ends up being delayed from August 2026, for a movie that has been in some form of development since 2023, it’s clearly closer to becoming a reality than ever before. It’s no longer a question of if this movie will happen; it now feels like it’s only a matter of when.

I probably don't have to tell you this, but Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio go back quite a ways. The two stars famously first worked opposite one another in the action/adventure/romance epic Titanic nearly 30 years ago, and they even reunited about a decade after that to make the period drama Revolutionary Road. Given this history, it's hardly surprising that the Academy Award-winning actress knows the Academy Award-winning actor better than most – and one fun thing about the relationship is that she is now thrilled to see people discover how funny he can be thanks to his acclaimed turn in Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another.

Kate Winslet is presently keeping busy doing press for two upcoming movies – namely James Cameron's Avatar: Fire And Ash and her directorial debut, Goodbye June – but during a recent conversation with Access Hollywood, she took a moment to pay a complement to her former co-star. She is a big fan of One Battle After Another (which is stirring up much chatter as we get deeper and deeper into awards season), but what she particularly appreciates is that audiences are getting to see a side of Leonardo DiCaprio that she has been aware of for decades. Said the actress,

Leonardo DiCaprio isn't a novice when it comes to comedy (let's not forget that we are just a few years removed from his turn in director Adam McKay's apocalypse spoof Don't Look Up), and he has had funny moments in mostly serious films (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and Catch Me If You Can are two titles that immediately spring to mind), but he has certainly spent the vast majority of his career focused on drama. After seeing his work in One Battle After Another, however, and after absorbing Winslet's comments, one has to wonder if he's spent too much of his career not respecting one of his great talents as a performer.

While we are used to seeing Leonardo DiCaprio play strong willed characters with rich determination, those aren't descriptors that could be used in discussing his part in Paul Thomas Anderson's loose adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's Vineland. In the film, he plays "Ghetto" Pat Calhoun a.k.a. Bob Ferguson, a former revolutionary living in hiding who is embroiled in chaos when a former rival makes a mission of finding and kidnapping his daughter. While "Bob" is desperate to protect his child, he has also spent years living in a cloud of pot smoke and isn't exactly prepared to meet the moment.

DiCaprio took a lot of inspiration from The Big Lebowski and Jeff Bridges' The Dude in crafting his performance – which certainly isn't a bad call considering that it's one of the funniest movies and turns of all time. Not only does the actor exhibit tremendous comedic timing in One Battle After Another, but he also demonstrates that he has some fantastic physical comedy skills as well.

If you haven't yet seen the new Paul Thomas Anderson film, you should make it a priority – and this is a great week to do so. While the hit 2025 movie is currently available for digital rental/purchase from all major online outlets, it is coming back to IMAX screens this weekend (and as a special bonus, the screenings will include a special preview of Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey).

Leonardo DiCaprio has spent far more years of his life in the spotlight than years outside of it. Making James Cameron's Titanic transformed him the biggest star in the world, but he made his television debut as a child an worked consistently throughout the 1990s, from recurring roles on shows like Parenthood and Growing Pains to movies like The Basketball Diaries, The Quick And The Dead, and Romeo + Juliet. All of this is to say that he has spent many years in the public eye, and that hefty experience has allowed him to develop what he calls a "simple philosophy" when it comes to maintaining a healthy private life.

In the wake of his acclaimed work starring in Paul Thomas Anderson's astounding One Battle After Another, DiCaprio has been named by Time Magazine as 2025's Entertainer Of The Year, and the profile published with the honor includes his thoughts on living life as a celebrity. Reflecting on his existence as a multi-decade A-lister, he explained that the main thing he has learned is that he needs to simply limit his exposure as much as he possibly can. Said the Oscar-winning actor,

Obviously Leonardo DiCaprio doesn't live a hermetically sealed life akin to a late-years Howard Hughes (whom he portrayed in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator), and in addition to participating in press tours for his new movies, he is a dedicated activist and regularly sees his romantic life as fodder for celebrity news. But he makes an active effort to minimize his public exposure.

More than just a desire to exist as a normal private citizen, DiCaprio also credits this philosophy for the impressive longevity of his career. He is very aware that there are some performers who see their relationships with the audience change as they become overexposed, and he has spent decades avoiding that – especially after he was flooded with opportunities in the wake of making Titanic. He added,

I have always found it somewhat ironic that actors are some of the most recognizable people on the planet – and yet their whole job is to transform into other people and the goal is that we don't fully recognize them in their performances. Obviously it's hard to watch a Leonardo DiCaprio movie and not constantly recognize him as Leonardo DiCaprio, but it is notable that he makes an effort to try and support that illusion with his off-screen life.

Obviously it's also helpful that he is one of the most talented actors of his generation – and this year delivered what will forever be remembered as one of his best performances. If you haven't seen One Battle After Another yet, you should make an effort to remedy that as soon as possible, because it's a film and work from DiCaprio that is going to be the subject matter of much buzz in the coming months as we get deeper into award season.

In August 2022, writer and director Michael Mann teamed up with author Meg Gardiner to publish Heat 2, a novel serving as both a prequel and sequel to the filmmaker’s beloved heist movie from 1995. By the following spring, it was announced that Mann will also adapt the book into a feature film, and it was reported in October that Leonardo DiCaprio was “circling” the lead role of Chris Shiherlis, previously played by the late Val Kilmer. DiCaprio has now broken his silence on joining Heat 2, and he gave an interesting statement about how the cinematic version of the sequel will compare to its predecessor.

While discussing his 2025 movie One Battle After Another and other topics concerning his career with Deadline, Leonardo DiCaprio confirmed his involvement on Heat 2 and had this to say when asked “what are the challenges in continuing the storyline from the revered original”:

Heat 2’s prequel narrative takes place in 1988, seven years before the events of Heat when Chris Shiherlis, Neil McCauley and their crew pulling off jobs in Chicago, all while Detective Vincent Hanna is tracking a gang of home invaders in the same city. The sequel time period follows Chris Shiherlis in the immediate aftermath of Heat and all the way into 2000, when Shiherlis is on the run from Hanna since he’s the sole survivor of the bak robbery that went wrong. It’s all reminiscent of The Godfather Part II, and DiCaprio is clearly jazzed to participate in the film version of Heat 2.

I’m with him on this, as CinemaBlend ranked Heat as one of the 100 best movies of the 1990s, due in large part to bringing two heavyweight actors together for the first time, Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. And yet, while DiCaprio is a big fan of Heat, it’s also important for him that Heat 2 stands out from the original and doesn’t simply feel like a rehash of what came before. As he continued:

Leonardo DiCaprio also mentioned during the interview that he hasn’t actually figured out yet if he will indeed play Chris Shiherlis in Heat 2 or instead take over playing Vincent Hanna from Al Pacino. Playing either character would allow him to be present in both the prequel and sequel eras, whereas whomever is selected to play Neil McCauley will only be around for the prequel story. It makes me wonder if once DiCaprio makes a decision between Shiherlis and Hanna, then Christian Bale will take the other role, unless he’s the one being courted for McCauley.

In any case, I look forward to seeing how the film version of Heat 2 looks with Leonardo DiCaprio in one of these lead roles, regardless of how long it takes to get cameras rolling. Meanwhile, One Battle After Another can be purchased or rented on digital, and one of the actor’s other upcoming movies will see him teaming up with Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt under the direction of Martin Scorsese.

I have been following the entire Heat 2 development saga since I first heard that Michael Mann was adapting his 2022 novel of the same name into a big screen affair. Over the past few months, it has started to look like the sequel to one of the best ‘90s movies will feature a cast that’s just as stacked as the epic starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and the late Val Kilmer that came out 30 years ago this December.

While I am excited about the possibility of Leonardo DiCaprio and fellow Oscar winner Christian Bale getting major roles in the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation, all this recent news has me wondering about something. What’s happening with a pair of actors who were rumored to be starring in Heat 2 when the project started picking up steam, when the hotly-anticipated sequel was announced well over a year ago?

The Idea Of Leonardo DiCaprio And Christian Bale Leading A Crime Epic Has Me Excited

First, the idea of Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale sharing the screen is something that has me even more excited about Heat 2. It’s like our generation’s version of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino finally having a scene together after all those years, with the only difference being that these two have never been in the same movie. Both have worked with directors like Christopher Nolan, Steven Spielberg and Paul Thomas Anderson, but never on the same picture.

Back in October 2025, Deadline reported that DiCaprio, hot off the decorated One Battle After Another, was in talks to play Chris Shiherlis, the character first brought to life by Val Kilmer in the original Heat. The following month, Deadline published a report stating that Bale, who’s set to appear in The Bride! next March, would be playing an undisclosed part. Could he be playing Neil McCauley? Vincent Hanna? Waingro? We’ll have to wait and see, I guess.

Also, What Does This Mean For Those Rumors About Adam Driver And Austin Butler?

Though I am excited to see two of the greatest living actors tear it up on screen and be involved with some high-stakes heists, I can’t help but wonder what this means for those rumors about Adam Driver and Austin Butler being in Heat 2. Over the past couple of years, outlets like The Hollywood Reporter have brought up Driver and Butler’s names as possibilities to play central characters, but nothing’s come of it.

I mean, Driver, who has worked with director Michael Mann on Ferrari, would be perfect as a younger Neil McCauley (the movie has two timelines – one before the events of Heat, the other after the 1995 film). Something similar could be said about Butler, whose skills would be perfect to play Chris Shiherlis. However, there haven’t been any updates about these two, and Butler is now being eyed to lead Joseph Kosinski’s Miami Vice adaptation alongside Michael B. Jordan. As much as I want these to happen, I just don’t know if they will.

It’s not yet known if Heat 2 will take up a spot on the 2026 movie schedule or later on. That said, I’ll be there the day it opens, even if my early actor wishlist doesn’t happen.

One Battle After Another, from writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson, is definitely one of the best movies released on the 2025 movie schedule, and Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance (which he has said was partly inspired by The Dude) is a big reason why. The whole time I watched the white-knuckle action, I just couldn’t help but wonder if his character, "Ghetto" Pat Calhoun/Bob, is the same person as The Dude from The Big Lebowski. Like, if we're talking about in an alternate timeline where The Dude (Jeff Bridges) got more radicalized after his role in writing the Port Heron statement (not the compromised second draft).

The Bathrobe Really Ties The Characters Together

The iconic opening scene of the Coen Brothers classic features The Dude walking through Ralph’s in his bathrobe, and, along with his sweater, it became one of the character’s signature looks. Like The Dude, Bob (I’m just going to stick with “Bob” from here on out), spends most of the movie in a robe. Instead of mixing White Russians and investigating a fake kidnapping, Bob is running for his life and trying to save his daughter.

Where The Dude seems to have spent most of his life bowling and listening to Creedence, Bob has spent most of his time hiding from the authorities after his involvement with the radical leftist political terrorists The French 75. The Dude got into the music business (as a roadie for Metallica), while Bob was taking extreme political action along with his girlfriend, Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor).

Both Stick To A Strict Drug Regiment And Have A Problem With Authority

Even when things get intense, both Bob and The Dude fall back on smoking a little weed to stay calm. It doesn’t really work for either, but it works a little better for The Dude. Of course, the stakes aren’t quite as high (pun intended) for The Dude, either. How either of the characters operates effectively after smoking all that weed, I’ll never know, but somehow they do.

Both also have a serious problem with authority. Obviously Bob has an ongoing battle with Lockjaw (Sean Penn), and while the chief of police of Malibu isn’t hellbent on killing The Dude, his personality doesn’t seem that far off from Lockjaw’s. Like Bob to The Dude, Lockjaw is a more extreme version of the Malibu chief. Both are real reactionaries.

Neither Seems Like Father Of The Year Material

I’ll give Bob some credit here, he is trying to be a good father to Willa (Chase Infiniti). The Dude has no interest in being a father and tells Maude (Julianne Moore) as much after they enjoy coitus at The Dude’s house. Bob isn’t a great father in most ways, but his motivations are pure as he’s just trying to protect Willa.

If I’m honest, neither would be anyone’s first choice for a dad, right? Still, when Willa runs off to Oakland to protest at the end of One Battle After Another, it makes me happy. Just like knowing there is a little Lebowski on the way at the end of The Big Lebowski also makes me happy.

We’re coming up on the 30th anniversary of Heat, the Michael Mann-helmed crime drama starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in the first movie where they shared screen time together (obviously that didn’t happen in The Godfather: Part II). While Heat still works just fine as a standalone story, in 2022, Mann co-authored the novel Heat 2 with Meg Gardiner, and now a film adaptation of that sequel is in development. The latest update on that front is that it looks like Leonardo DiCaprio will be joined by a fellow Christopher Nolan alum in the upcoming movie.

Following a little over a month after it was reported that Amazon MGM Studios and United Artists would take over making Heat 2 from Warner Bros. Pictures, Deadline has shared that Christian Bale is in talks for a “major role.” Although DiCaprio is believed to be playing Chris Shiherlis, whom the late Val Kilmer played in Heat, no details were provided about whom Bale would play if a deal is reached. The film version of Heat 2 is gearing up to begin production next year, so ideally we’ll know sooner rather than later if Bale signs on or not.

For those unaware, Heat 2 follows in The Godfather: Part II’s footsteps by serving as both a prequel and sequel to its predecessor, one of the best movies of the 1990s. The prequel portion of the story takes place in 1988 and follows Shiherlis, Neil McCauley and their crew committing heists in Chicago, while at the same time, Detective Vincent Hanna is investigating a separate case in the same city focused on a gang of violent home invaders. The sequel portion takes place from 1995 to 2000 and follows Shiherlis evading the authorities after the events of Heat.

Taking all this into account, and assuming his deal is finalized, I would not be surprised if Christian Bale ends up playing McCauley or Hanna in Heat 2, i.e. Robert De Niro and Al Pacino’s respective characters in the original. Those two roles would certainly fit an actor of his caliber, and since Leonard DiCaprio would appear across both time periods if he is indeed playing Chris Shiherlis, then he and Bale would get to share screen time if the latter ends up being cast as McCauley. Of course, Christian Bale goes way back with Christopher Nolan thanks to the Dark Knight trilogy and The Prestige, while DiCaprio starred in Inception.

Or maybe I’m way off base and Christian Bale would instead play one of the new characters introduced in Heat 2. Whatever the case, I’m excited by the prospect of him and Leonardo DiCaprio finally getting to star in a movie together. Both are Academy Award-winning actors, the former for The Fighter and the latter for The Revenant, so you know it’s going to be electric when they’re paired together onscreen.

As we wait for official confirmation about Christian Bale’s involvement in Heat 2, remember that he’ll next be seen on the 2026 movies schedule playing Frankenstein’s monster in the Bonnie and Clyde-like The Bride!. Leonardo DiCaprio’s most recent movie, One Battle After Another, can now be rented or purchased digitally.

Though it wasn’t the first or best Western movie I ever watched, The Quick and the Dead was one that my older brother and I watched countless times growing up. Like the criminally underrated Toy Soldiers, this great Sam Raimi movie starring Sharon Stone, the late Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, and a pre-Titanic Leonardo DiCaprio was on TNT whenever I would flip to channel 17 back in the day.

However, 30 years after this gunslinging epic about a mysterious drifter named “The Lady” coming into an Old West town to enter a duel tournament and get some old-fashioned revenge, I rarely hear people sing this movie’s praises or even know what it is. That’s a shame, a crying shame. If, for some reason, you’ve never watched The Quick and the Dead, here’s why you should change that…

The Quick And The Dead Pulls Off So Many Great Western Movie Archetypes

Though it’s not one of the best films of 1995 (that was a stacked year, so this isn’t a knock on it), The Quick and the Dead is a fun, violent, and outrageously fun Western that feels like both a love letter to the genre and a slight reinvention at the same time. Not only are there the time-honored tropes like duels, revenge, and redemption (it’s the name of the town, for crying out loud), but the movie also features some wonderful archetypes.

You have the mysterious drifter coming into town in the form of Sharon Stone’s “The Lady.” You have the former outlaw-turned-preacher with Russell Crowe’s Cort, and the flipside with Gene Hackman’s ruthless outlaw-turned-sheriff John Herod. And then there’s “The Kid,” Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, who wants nothing more than to earn his dad’s acceptance. All of these work really well and don’t come off as feeling cheap, unnecessary, or overdone.

The Movie Showcases Leonardo DiCaprio And Russell Crowe’s Talent Before They Were Megastars

Sharon Stone and Gene Hackman were already on top of the world when The Quick and the Dead came out in February 1995, but the same can’t be said for Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe. Going back and seeing these two future A-listers when they were on their respective ascents to stardom is so much fun to watch, especially considering they’d share the screen again a decade later in Body of Lies.

Both seem so eager, so fresh, and so believable in their parts. DiCaprio, barely 20 years old at the time, is especially electric in his portrayal of a young gunslinger trying to make a name for himself and win the affection of his iron-fisted and mercilessly cruel father. I know hindsight is 20/20, but you can see that spark in DiCaprio’s eyes whenever he’s on screen.

However, don’t let my praise of a young Leo take attention away from Russell Crowe. Released two years before L.A. Confidential and five years before his Oscar-winning performance in Gladiator made him one of the most recognizable faces on the planet, this Western was an early showcase (at least in the United States) of Crowe’s capabilities. His charm, command of the screen, and believability can all be felt.

While The Quick and the Dead isn’t streaming anywhere right now (that changes all the time), you can rent a digital copy with an Amazon subscription or pick up a physical copy to see what all the fuss is about. Hey, maybe enough people will watch, and we can start talking about this awesome 1995 Western again.

In a memorable episode of the sitcom Friends, Matt LeBlanc's Joey Tribbiani lands a significant role acting in a movie, and what makes the part particularly special is that he gets to work with a legendary co-star (played by Gary Oldman). The problem? Said legendary co-star has a habit of spitting when he delivers his lines. The performance is played for laughs... but humorous is not how I would describe a saliva-soaked story that Michael Shannon recently shared about his first time working with Leonardo DiCaprio. Instead, the word that comes to mind is "mortifying."

Shannon was recently a guest on The Julia Cunningham Show, and it was during a discussion of the actor's past opportunities to work with some of the film industry's A-listers that the subject turned to the movie Revolutionary Road. The Take Shelter star doesn't have a massive role in the Sam Mendes-directed feature, but he does have a standout scene with DiCaprio, Kate Winslet and Kathy Bates, and it while shooting it that he experienced a heavy dose of embarrassment. He set the stage first, saying,

In said dining room scene, suburbanites Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio) and April (Kate Winslet) announce that they are pregnant, and while this news is met with some celebration, Michael Shannon's character is rendered furious, as it means that the couple is going to cancel their plans to move to Paris. He particularly lays blame on Frank for the decision, and he taunts him while really getting up in his face – and it was apparently during the filming of that moment that the actor accidentally drooled on his co-star.

Recounting the memory in excruciating detail, Shannon continued,

In case you were wondering and/or don't remember: no, the drool take didn't end up in the final cut of the film, as you can see by watching the Revolutionary Road clip below.

To be fair, Leonardo DiCaprio has his own story about the accidental expulsion of bodily fluids: in the filming of Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained, the Oscar-winning actor crushed a real glass under his hand while slamming it on a table during an intense scene, and it ended up seeing him pour some real blood on the set. Is that really comparable to Michael Shannon drooling on the star of Titanic in front of two other stars of Titanic? Not really, but it does show that movie sets can be messy places sometimes.

Should you be interested in revisiting the full movie, Revolutionary Road isn't currently available to stream on any subscription services, but it is widely available for digital purchase and rental, and physical media collectors can pick up a copy of it on Blu-ray.

The hosts of daily news programs like Today are well-seasoned veterans who know how to kill it on live air. However, as they go about doing daily tapings for shows on the 2025 TV schedule, bloopers and slip-ups are inevitable. That point was hilariously made recently by Carson Daly, who recalled the story behind the time he seriously messed up pronouncing Leonardo DiCaprio’s name.

A few of Today’s hosts, Savannah Guthrie, Carson Daly and Craig Melvin (who took over for Hoda Kotb after she left), spoke with Andy Cohen during Today Fan Fest about their work. The Watch What Happens Live host specifically asked about on-air bloopers toward the end of the segment, and immediately, The Voice host had an answer. Without missing a beat, he said:

That admission sent Guthrie and Melvin into fits of laughter. And while this story is quite funny, I know I’d certainly be mortified if I did something like that. To that point, Daly explained that to this day, he can’t say the One Battle After Another star’s name without his heart rate going up. He said:

That’s so fair! There are a lot of celebrities whose names get mispronounced, like Rihanna (it’s ree-ann-uh) and Raven-Symoné (it’s ray-ven see-mon-ye). And I have to admit, if I were reading a teleprompter really fast, I could see myself easily switching up a few letters in Leonardo DiCaprio.

Sadly, when you do switch the letters, you get “DiCrapio,” which is reminiscent, in a way, of the time Jenna Bush Hager cursed live on air. While Daly didn’t get bleeped for it, he stated that it was quite embarrassing.

However, he wasn’t the only one with a horror story. Craig Melvin said that one time, he read that a certain brand’s food had killed eight people, but that did not happen; eight people got sick. He said that slip-up almost got them sued. Meanwhile, Savannah Guthrie recalled a time when she asked Khloé Kardashian if Rob Kardashian was her dad right before they cut to break. Andy Cohen admitted that he asked Oprah Winfrey an embarrassing question about if she’s ever “swum in the lady pond.”

So, they all had their tales of embarrassment, and I’m certain that every journalist has one too. I know I do.

However, you learn from them and become better because of them. Or, in Carson Daly’s case, you probably never pronounce Leonardo DiCaprio’s name wrong ever again.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another won the weekend box office in its September 26th premiere at $22 million domestically, which was a personal best for the director. However, it experienced a 50% drop when Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl ruled the weekend box office, just like she did when The Eras Tour broke through in 2023. After claims went down that the Leonardo DiCaprio-led movie could allegedly lose the studio $100 million, Warner Bros. defended itself and made sure to mention A Minecraft Movie and Sinners.

While One Battle After Another is at $141.9 million so far, Variety states that the action-thriller needs $300 million to break even. This is because Warner Bros. spent more than $130 million on production and $70 million on marketing. With studios and movie theaters getting a 50-50 cut in box office revenue, Leonardo DiCaprio would get a percentage of the box office before studios get back anything.

Due to the Paul Thomas Anderson movie launching its multimillion-dollar Oscar campaign, Variety reports that Warner Bros. executives claimed that the studio is allegedly tracking to lose $100 million. A Warner Bros. spokesperson wasn’t having it, explaining that the studio is actually doing better than ever for 2025 movie releases:

The $4 billion refers to box office revenue and not profits, but the spokesperson made sure to mention that movies like A Minecraft Movie and Sinners were studio successes. Jared Hess’ video game adaptation was just what the box office needed after this year’s slow start, earning $957.8 million and becoming the third-highest-grossing film of the year. Ryan Coogler’s horror flick had two great box office weekends and ultimately scored $367 million. These two movies were certainly raking in the box office dough for Warner Bros.

You definitely can’t say that Warner Bros. is suffering. In fact, the studio achieved a box office milestone because of original movies like Sinners and F1. They had six consecutive films open with a box office of at least $40 million. Especially considering Sinners, F1, and Weapons were not in the franchise, superhero realm, it’s amazing that they managed to draw large audiences with their original content. It proves that you don’t always have to be a remake, sequel or spinoff to be a safe bet for studios.

One Battle After Another may have a box office battle on its hands due to its underwhelming commercial performance. However, a Warner Bros. exec cleared the air that the studio is not struggling due to how well the opening weekends of A Minecraft Movie and Sinners reached. Hopefully, with the Leonardo DiCaprio movie’s critical acclaim and potential awards buzz, the thriller flick can luck out when it hits streaming.

Make sure to give One Battle After Another a chance, playing in theaters now.

Heat remains one of the best movies of the 1990s, and for over 25 years, it existed as a standalone crime story. Then in 2022, writer and director Michael Mann co-authored the novel Heat 2 with Meg Gardiner, with this functioning as both a prequel and sequel to its predecessor. It was officially announced in spring 2023 that Mann would adapt Heat 2 into a feature film, and now that project has taken an especially big step forward. However, I can’t help but be concerned for a specific reason that Leonardo DiCaprio might play the lead role.

Heat 2 Has Shifted Studios

Let’s start with the latest Heat 2 update. According to THR, Amazon MGM Studios’ United Artists Division is in talks to pick up the film adaptation from Warner Bros. Pictures. This move echoes when Amazon MGM acquired the Highlander reboot from Lionsgate back in May. The reason for the Heat 2 shift is reportedly because Warner Bros. and Michael Mann couldn’t agree on a budget, so the former let the latter shop the project around.

As a result of this changeover, Jerry Bruckheimer, Scott Stuber and Nick Nesbitt have joined Heat 2 as producers. Additionally, while there hasn’t been any official castings yet, Leonardo DiCaprio is said to be “circling” the lead role of Chris Shiherlis, whom the late Val Kilmer played in Heat. Austin Butler, Adam Driver and Bradley Cooper have also allegedly been in consideration for Heat 2, but it sounds like DiCaprio is a more likely prospect to come aboard, even if nothing’s set in stone yet.

Leonardo DiCaprio Possibly Taking Over Val Kilmer’s Role Is Unusual

As I mentioned earlier, Heat 2 is both a prequel and sequel. The pre-Heat story takes place in 1988, when Chris Shiherlis, Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) and Michael Cerrito (Tom Sizemore) were committing robberies in Chicago, while Detective Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) investigated a separate crime spree in the area. The novel also continues following along with Shiherlis and Hanna in the immediate aftermath of Heat from 1995 to 1996, and then in 2000.

Assuming Leonardo DiCaprio stars in Heat 2, I assume that he would only be playing Chris Shiherlis for its post-Heat story, and that a younger actor would inhabit the role for the pre-Heat events. Maybe I’m wrong, but frankly, I’m not excited about the prospect of DiCaprio playing the older Shiherlis either. Why? Well, because he’s actually too old for that role as well.

Val Kilmer was 35 when he filmed Heat, so let’s assume that Shiherlis is the same age. That means the oldest we’ll ever see him in Heat 2 is when he’s 40. Leonardo DiCaprio, on the other hand, turns 51 next month. That’s not to say he doesn’t look good for his age, but I think it’s a stretch to having him playing that young of a role and resemble a late ‘90s/early 2000s Kilmer. Someone like Austin Butler or Adam Driver would be a better fit, and they could potentially get away with playing that character in the late ‘80s too.

If the shift from Warner Bros. to United Artists accelerates Heat 2’s development, then maybe we could get some official casting news before the year is over, whether or not it involves Leonardo DiCaprio. For now, feel free to break out your Paramount+ subscription to stream Heat.

SPOILER WARNING FOR ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

Aside from Stanley Kubrick, Paul Thomas Anderson is my favorite director. And, up until I saw One Battle After Another (which we gave a five-star review), I thought I had his number.

But, no. I most certainly did not have Mr. Anderson’s number. Because even though I've loved every PTA film (especially Licorice Pizza, which I had to warm up to, but now adore), I really didn’t know what I thought of One Battle After Another while I was watching it. That's because this movie is an action thriller, and PTA does not do action thrillers.

However, now that I’ve actually had time to sit with the film, I think PTA should make even more thrillers, and for a number of reasons. Here are just a few.

Paul Thomas Anderson Actually Does A Really Good Job Of Creating Tense Moments

Now, I’ve always known that PTA can drum up the tension when he wants to, as he’s exhibited this talent in films like Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and There Will Be Blood. Hell, he even did it in his very first film, Hard Eight, which some might view as a thriller, but I would categorize it more as a crime drama. So, tension for PTA is nothing new.

However, when I’ve always thought about PTA’s past flicks, tension was never the first word that came to mind. Wry-humored? Sure. Nostalgic? In many ways. Serious? You betcha! But suspenseful? No, that’s not a word that I would associate with PTA. Hitchcock? Of course, as that was his bread and butter. But PTA was not that kind of director.

That is, of course, not until One Battle After Another, since this movie is suspenseful (and tense!) as all hell. The story mostly concerns a drugged-out, middle-aged man named Bob Ferguson (Or “Ghetto” Pat Calhoun) (DiCaprio) who spent a lot of his youth making explosives and aiding a left-wing revolutionary group called French 75.

He fell in love with one of its members, named Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyona Taylor), and eventually had a child with her (or so he thinks). As a dad myself, I can relate to losing all of the fire in your belly once you have children, since that’s exactly what happened to Ferguson: He had a kid, and settled down.

Which is where the tension comes in, since a corrupt military man named Col. Lockjaw (Sean Penn) has suspicions that Ferguson’s child, Willa (Played by an amazing Chase Infiniti) might actually…well, I’ll just leave it there, but what I will say is that Lockjaw disrupts Ferguson’s whole existence. And, Ferguson, whose mind isn’t what it used to be from years of drug abuse, needs to protect his daughter at all costs, and those moments are really riveting!

PTA Can Also Create Compelling Heroes And Villains

Honestly, if there’s any movie in PTA’s catalog that might be my least favorite, it’s Inherent Vice, which I think says more about my feelings toward Thomas Pynchon’s writing than it does about PTA’s directing (Even so, I definitely think you should watch it if you want to get into the director’s work). The characters just didn’t work for me, and I had a hard time determining who I should root for or detest.

However, PTA doesn’t have that problem with One Battle After Another, as it’s entirely clear who the good guy is (Ferguson), and who the bad guys are (Lockjaw, and the Christmas Adventurers, who I’ll get into later). This is actually interesting since One Battle After Another is also based on a Pynchon novel (this one, Vineland), but one I will assume is a more loose adaptation than Inherent Vice was. Anyway, when it comes to the other “good guys,” it's a bit harder to determine if they're actually good, which is compelling.

Benicio del Toro is certainly on the “good” team. He plays Willa's sensei, Sergio St. Carlos. HE's also a neighborhood leader who looks out for the people in his community. So, yes. A class act.

Willa is also on the good side, as she wants no involvement in the drama that comes her way. The rest of the “good characters” is where things get interesting, as I don’t necessarily think the members of the French 75 are “good.”

They’re destructive, and when it all comes down to it, they're no better than the disillusioned men in Fight Club (which you should definitely rewatch). It’s in this way that PTA can create compelling heroes and villains in tense situations, which is great. He should do it more often.

He Has A Knack For Using Humor To Make Even Ugly Material Digestible

Here’s the thing about One Battle After Another: Even though it deals with some serious subject matters, like sanctuary cities, military overreach, and white supremacy, it’s still really funny. This is one of the reasons why I often come to PTA’s films, as his sense of humor usually finds a way into his projects.

And, this is perhaps the one aspect of Vineland that I think might have seeped into this loose adaptation, since the stoner comedy in Inherent Vice finds its way into this story as well. However, the humor in this film is really important, because without it, some of OBAA would be a bit hard to stomach.

Case in point, the Christmas Adventurers Club, which consists of white supremacists who secretly run the country. They are looking to recruit Sean Penn’s character with the assumption that his blood is “pure” and that he hasn’t had any relations with any non-white women.

Now, this is icky on multiple levels, and I know white nationalists exist (and possibly in high positions), but PTA gets a ton of humor out of them by making their beliefs seem comical and wrong.

This is important, especially in a thriller, since 1. These characters do pose an incredible threat to our protagonists, and 2. It's important that PTA makes it clear that there is nothing to admire or like about white supremacy, thus making them villains that you're happy to see get taken down. But, I don't know if any of this would work if the movie didn't have PTA's particular brand of humor.

Lastly, He's Also Excellent At Putting Current Events In His Action Scenes

I’m going to be frank with you. I don’t particularly care to follow current events. In fact, I’d much rather pay attention to all of the upcoming horror movies coming out rather than, like, you know, news about tariffs, immigration, or government shutdowns. That said, “real” news is important, and if I'm going to have to absorb it, I'd prefer to do it in the form of a movie rather than on some dedicated TV network.

And, OBAA tackles many real-world issues, such as sanctuary cities. The movie takes an obvious side, but it presents it in a way that feels relevant to the plot (and feels thrilling at the same time).

Or, what about white nationalism? PTA works this into his action scenes in fascinating, exciting ways. All of these surprised me since I didn't know PTA had it in him to make a semi-political action thriller, but now that I know he does, I want more of it!

So, if you're reading this, PTA, please make another action thriller! You're really good at it!

The death of any well-known person tends to get the world to stop and notice it, but few people in the world have quite the reputation of Jane Goodall. The primatologist, who was both a different sort of celebrity, known all over the world for her work in helping humans understand the animal world, and people from Leonardo DiCaprio to the designer of a Walt Disney World theme park, are remembering her work.

Leonardo DiCaprio, a known activist, wasn’t simply a fan of Jane Goodall. In a post to Instagram, the Oscar winner called Goodall a “dear friend.” He wrote extensively about her work, promoted the Goodall Institute and said…

Another celebrity known as much for her activism as her acting is Jane Fonda. She posted a picture of herself standing with Goodall and included her own heartfelt post. Fonda said we should treat all beings on earth with love and respect as a way to honor Goodall’s legacy and said…

Goodall was the subject of documentaries as well as the voice of many nature programs. As such, she became one of the leading faces in the area of conservation of our natural world.

Actress Reese Witherspoon added multiple Stories to her own Instagram honoring the legacy of Jane Goodall. One was a video of Goodall speaking on the importance of conservation as a way to preserve our ecosystem. Another was a beautiful picture in remembrance.

Natalie Portman was another actress who was lucky enough to meet Jane Goodall in person. She called the primatologist her “ultimate hero,” celebrating her not only as a scientist but as a woman who broke new ground in a largely male-dominated field.

One actor who likely had a very different relationship with Jane Goodall was Michael Douglas. Douglas was one of the first designated UN Messengers of Peace, a role bestowed upon people who work in the arts who promote the work of the United Nations. Douglas was honored with the role in 1998, which he still holds today. Jane Goodall was named a Messenger of Peace in 2002. He posted an image of the pair together saying…

One person who may not be quite the celebrity of the others on this list, but who has a perspective on Jane Goodall that is truly unique, is former Walt Disney Imagineer, and recent Disney Legend Joe Rohde. Rohde was the lead Imagineer on the Disney’s Animal Kingdom project, in which Jane Goodall worked as an advisor. Rhode reveals that he saw Goodall only about a week ago, which made the news of her death even more of a shock. As somebody who knew her personally, Rohde celebrated not only her well-known work, but also the person that she was, saying…

Jane Goodall clearly had a great impact, not only on the study of primatology but on all the people she met as she did her work and promoted its importance to the world. She will be truly missed.

Every so often, a costume choice becomes a character in and of itself. Jeff Bridges had The Dude’s bathrobe. Tony Soprano had his own robe. Now, Leonardo DiCaprio has joined the “dad robe hall of fame” in Paul Thomas Anderson’s new film, the critically acclaimed One Battle After Another. On that note, we now have some insight into how the plaid robe came to be in his 2025 movie release!

According to Variety, the faded plaid get-up wasn’t part of the plan. Costume designer Colleen Atwood revealed that Bob, DiCaprio’s revolutionary-turned-stoner-dad character, was initially supposed to just wear a sweatshirt. Then, in a very Dude-like turn of events, someone (maybe Anderson, maybe Leo) suggested, “What if he’s just in his robe?” The rest is cinematic loungewear history. Atwood explained to the outlet:

Additionally, DiCaprio leaned into the look reminiscent of one of the fit from one of the best movies of the ‘90s. At the film’s premiere, the Oscar winner even admitted his inspiration was none other than Bridges’ iconic Lebowski character, describing Bob as “a guy that sits home and smokes pot all the time.” In other words, The Dude abides… but now with a 2025 update.

Of course, the robe wasn’t the only part of Bob’s look. The whole vibe came together with a pair of sunglasses, a dad hat and sneakers DiCaprio apparently handpicked himself. Atwood says the Killers of the Flower Moon star preferred Altra Lone Peak trail runners because of their wide toe box. (Yes, even stoner dads in PT Anderson films need the proper footwear.)

The funny part? You won’t find this robe on any high-end designer rack. Atwood joked that if you want to cosplay Bob this Halloween:

This detail feels so quintessentially PTA, as he knows how to find beauty, humor and humanity in the faded corners of American life. The robe says as much about Bob as his dialogue does. He’s a man who once fought the system, and is now fighting inertia in his living room.

One Battle After Another, a book-to-screen adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland, follows Bob, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, a burned-out former revolutionary who lives a paranoid life while trying to raise his independent daughter, Willa, away from the chaos of the world. When an old rival shows up and Willa goes missing, Bob is dragged back into the life he thought he left behind. This wild search forces both of them to deal with the mess from their past. This film is Paul Thomas Anderson's second crack at adapting a Pynchon story, the first being Inherent Vice in 2014.

The Dude and his lounge wear still resonate after more than 25 years, so DiCaprio’s not about to dethrone him as the king of robes, but it’s definitely going to give it a run for its money. So don’t be surprised if you leave the theater wanting to hit up a thrift shop to hunt for the ultimate plaid robe. One Battle After Another is being touted as one of the best movies of the year and is now in theaters, so check your local listings for showtimes.

Leonardo DiCaprio has starred in quite a few movies like Titanic, The Revenant, and now his 2025 movie release directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another. With such a varied catalog, the actor has made movies for nearly everyone, except maybe children. Well, at least one would think. The Oscar winner has focused on mostly R-rated films through most of his career. However, apparently this isn’t stopping little kids from finding his work, and this shockingly includes The Wolf of Wall Street.

The movie star was recently asked which of his films have become most relevant with younger audiences. I would've honestly thought he may have said Romeo+Juliet or The Great Gatsby, as the source material for these films are often taught in schools. However, DiCaprio revealed to Variety that surprisingly a lot of kids come up to him talking about The Wolf of Wall Street, which is definitely not geared towards children. He said:

For context, The Wolf of Wall Street is a 2013 film following the outrageous and ostentatious life of Jordan Belfort, a stock broker who defrauds wealthy investors in order to make millions. The movie is a cautionary tale about the dangers of greed, while also showcasing the antics and egregious lifestyle choices of the über wealthy in New York in the '80s and '90s. It is based on a memoir of the real Jordan Belfort, and The Wolf of Wall Street was a major box office hit when it was released. It also resulted in a number of Oscar nominations for DiCaprio’s performance, and director Martin Scorsese.

While The Wolf of Wall Street is undoubtedly a fantastic film, and one of the best acting showcases from DiCaprio, the movie couldn’t be further from a kids movie. It has explicit nude scenes, shows copious amounts of drug use, and uses the F-word more than most other rated-R films. Additionally, the characters in The Wolf of Wall Street are far from role models, and the movie was intended to be a reckoning for the particular population that it follows, rather than celebrating the behavior.

Even adults found it controversial when it was released. While I'm not sure kids should be diving in, the star makes an excellent point, noting that he was watching rated-R films as a kid, too. So, it clearly is still happening.

In DiCaprio's case this was positive. He fell in love with movies that he watched during formative years, resulting in him becoming one of the best actors of his generation. Many directors have also cited watching rated-R films as a kid as memorable experiences that helped form their own taste. You never know, some of these young Wolf of Wall Street viewers may just be the next Leo.

You can see Leonardo DiCaprio in his latest critically acclaimed film, One Battle After Another now as the film is currently playing in theaters nationwide. Fans can also revisit his career-defining performance in The Wolf of Wall Street, which is currently streaming with a Paramount+ subscription.

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for One Battle After Another. If you have not yet seen the film, proceed at your own risk!

Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another has many tremendous qualities (as critics have ebulliently acknowledged), but one of its most awe-inspiring aspects is its scale and depth. The film is loosely based on the novel Vineland by Thomas Pynchon, but Anderson gives the world a life of its own – full of colorful characters and righteous political revolution. When the credits roll, one isn't left with the sense that the lives of these people are over... but that leaves the question: what does the future have in store for them?

In answering this question, there are few better sources to use than the stars of the film, and CinemaBlend's Jeff McCobb asked the actors for their thoughts on what's to come for their characters during the recent Los Angeles press day for One Battle After Another – having the opportunity to sit down with stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio Del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyona Taylor and Chase Infiniti.

Bob Is Getting Into Music While Sensei St. Carlos Gets Back To The Dojo

Through the events of One Battle After Another, Leonardo DiCaprio's Pat Calhoun/Bob Ferguson and Benicio Del Toro's Sensei St. Carlos prove to be strong allies. When Sean Penn's Col. Steven J. Lockjaw comes looking for the French 75 with intentions of covering up the interracial affair that led to the birth of Chase Infiniti's Charlene Calhoun/Willa Ferguson, they prove to be a successful team, with the martial arts teacher able to provide enough support and resources to overcome the former revolutionary's burnout-caused incompetence. So where do they go after the end?

At the end of the movie, Bob gets to experience some emotional catharsis with his daughter when he shares a letter from her mother, and the last we see of Sensei St. Carlos is him being arrested... but Leonardo DiCaprio and Benicio Del Toro envision happy lives for both of them. They shared the idea that the former might be getting into music, while also revealing that there was a deleted scene that showed what happened to the latter:

• Leonardo DiCaprio: Where did our characters end up?
• Benicio Del Toro: You'll be playing something, some band or something, right? You bought some stuff?
• Leonardo DiCaprio: Yeah, A Block Past Normal. I'll go with the local band, play at the local pub.
• Benicio Del Toro: There was one scene. I think that was something that we shot like, for after. That [PTA] didn't use. But I was back in the dojo teaching… I think I'll be there too. Right. I'll be back… I know some people in high places.

Bob certainly doesn't seem well-suited to get back into revolutionary activities, so it's probably for the best that he put more of his energy into music. And it's certainly great to hear that Sensei St. Carlos is still fighting the good fight in more ways than one.

Deandra May Or May Not Be In Prison, But There's No Closure Envisioned For Perfidia

While there was a fair amount of optimism shared by Leonardo DiCaprio and Benicio Del Toro for events beyond what we see in One Battle After Another, a different tone came out of the room with Regina Hall, Teyona Taylor, and Chase Infiniti. Instead of music and martial arts, the futures for Deandra and Perfidia Beverly Hills aren't looked upon with the same kinds of rose-colored glasses.

Much like how Sensei St. Carlos supports Bob in the film, Regina Hall's Deandra is a wonderful protector of Willa when Col. Lockjaw comes looking for her – but the return for her efforts may not be a peaceful life. While Jeff tried to make her consider otherwise during the interview, Hall thinks that the character may now be locked up:

But what about Perfidia? The character physically exits from One Battle After Another fairly early, as she betrays the French 75 by naming names and then escapes to freedom in Mexico – but she doesn't totally leave her old life behind, as indicated by the aforementioned letter that she sends to her daughter. Even after more than a decade-and-a-half, she is still looking for peace and perhaps a way back to her child:

• Teyana Taylor: Oh, I don't think there’s any closure.
• Regina Hall: She’s done broke some man’s heart.
• Teyana Taylor: Probably so, because you know Perfidia is a heartbreaker. But I also think that per her letter, you know, I think she's doing a lot of reflecting. I think there's a lot of reflecting. I think she's sorry. And I think that, you know, I think she's just hoping for a day that is safe enough to get back to her baby.

The only principal character who we really get proper closure with in One Battle After Another is the fascistic Col. Lockjaw, who gets assassinated by the Christmas Adventurers Club – and at the end of the day, I think the two word response to that particular character is, "Good riddance!"

Also featuring the talents of Alana Haim, Shayna McHayle, Wood Harris, and Tony Goldwyn, One Battle After Another is now playing in theaters everywhere, having dominated the competition this weekend during its opening weekend at the box office. Given that the movie is so incredibly great, you can be sure that we'll be writing plenty more about it in the months ahead – not only as we reflect on the best movies to be released in 2025 but also as we get deeper and deeper into the upcoming awards season (Leonardo DiCaprio and Benicio Del Toro surely think that Paul Thomas Anderson is overdue for winning Hollywood's highest honor).

True talent in Hollywood is most definitely not represented purely through success during awards season/at the Oscars – and Paul Thomas Anderson's career is proof positive of that. Despite him being one of the greatest living, he has been nominated for 11 Academy Awards for six different films in the last 28 years, and he has yet to take home a single trophy. It's not a pock on his legacy, as his phenomenal movies speak for themselves, but recognition is certainly always valued, and both Leonardo DiCaprio and Benicio Del Toro want to see that happen via Anderson's latest critically acclaimed feature, One Battle After Another.

Both DiCaprio and Del Toro have individually experienced the glory of winning an Oscar (the former for his work on 2016's The Revenant, the latter for his performance in 2001's Traffic), and during the recent Los Angeles press day for One Battle After Another, they agreed that Paul Thomas Anderson is due Hollywood's most prestigious honor. That being said, however, the first priority is not the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences appreciating the work, but instead movie-goers, and they want that appreciation reflected in people heading to cinemas to see it. Said DiCaprio,

Leonardo DiCaprio makes a great larger point here. People are constantly complaining online that Hollywood is out of original stories and has become entirely dependent on established intellectual properties, and they use that excuse not to go to the movies. But that environment has been created because people only go to see big blockbusters and franchises titles, and original stories not based on established intellectual properties need support in order to survive.

It's a sentiment with which Benicio Del Toro agrees, following his co-stars comments by noting that there's nothing that can be done about award season recognition, but the most important thing is that people buy a ticket and take the ride:

I will personally agree with this sentiment. If you don't make an effort to go see One Battle After Another, you are only doing yourself a disservice by missing out one of the best big screen experiences of 2025.

Loosely based on the unadaptable novel Vineland by Thomas Pynchon, One Battle After Another centers on a group of modern American revolutionaries who are forced to go into hiding when one of their own is captured and starts naming names. Years later, the hunt for the rebels restarts when the fascistic Col. Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn) needs to clean up his past messes in order to gain membership to a secret society – and it leaves burnout Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio) a mess as his teenage daughter is specifically targeted by Lockjaw and he struggles to find her after they get separated. The epic is full of action, comedy and drama, and it features an outstanding ensemble cast that also includes Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, Wood Harris, Alana Haim, Chase Infiniti, and Tony Goldwyn.

Arriving just in time for the start of awards season on the 2025 Movie Release Calendar, One Battle After Another is in theaters this Friday, September 26, and stay tuned here on CinemaBlend in the coming days for more of our coverage of the outrageously excellent film.

Paul Thomas Anderson is a celebrated filmmaker with double-digit Academy Award nominations for movies like There Will Be Blood and Licorice Pizza. Whether you’re just getting into Anderson’s collection or have seen all of his best movies, there’s a new project hitting the 2025 movie calendar. One Battle After Another is an epic action thriller with an impressive cast, and critics are here to share their thoughts ahead of its September 26 release.

Leonardo DiCaprio stars in One Battle After Another as an ex-revolutionary who must reunite with his former colleagues to rescue his daughter from a corrupt military official (Sean Penn). The film also stars Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor and more. Steven Spielberg gave his stamp of approval, but what about the other critics? IndieWire’s David Ehrlich gives it an A, writing:

Adam Nayman of The Ringer says One Battle After Another is the director at his best, agreeing with Leonardo DiCaprio and Benicio Del Toro that this should win Paul Thomas Anderson his first Academy Award. Nayman writes:

Richard Lawson of THR calls the film “bracingly timely,” as the story boldly addresses the political “nightmare” we face today and speaks directly to the audience about how we must help each other. The critic says:

Owen Gleiberman of Variety knows the descriptions of One Battle After Another sound aggressively dystopian — like an over-the-top satirical warning of where the world is today and where it might be heading. However, he continues:

Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com points out that while Vineland by Thomas Pynchon was set in the 1980s, PTA’s loosely interpreted book-to-screen adaptation will read as 2020s political commentary because of the story’s timelessness. Tallerico rates the film a perfect 4 out of 4 stars and says:

Critics across the board agree with the above reviews, with One Battle After Another being declared Certified Fresh with a 98% Rotten Tomatoes score from more than 160 submissions. If you want to see the latest project from Paul Thomas Anderson and decide for yourself if you think it’s award-worthy, you can do so starting Friday, September 26.

Sometimes in Hollywood, it only takes a single role to catapult an actor from obscurity to superstardom. It’s safe to say that Margot Robbie’s performance in The Wolf of Wall Street was one such role. The movie made her one of the most in-demand actresses in cinema. It's a fact which is all the more impressive considering Robbie said she once thought she wasn't even going to be in The Wolf of Wall Street.

It’s impossible now to imagine a version of The Wolf of Wall Street that doesn’t even have Margot Robbie in it, but speaking with IMDb, the actress revealed that she thought that so much happened in the film that her character might simply get lost in the edit. She explained…

It’s at least understandable why Robbie might have felt this way. She’s certainly not wrong, as The Wolf of Wall Street is a wild movie, and there’s a lot that happens. From a strict plot perspective, the personal relationships of Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jordan Belfort aren’t the most important part of the movie, so if something was going to be cut, it’s not unreasonable for Robbie to be afraid it would be her.

The Wolf of Wall Street is also three hours long. Anytime a three-hour movie comes along, there are discussions about whether or not a movie like that is too long. While Martin Scorsese has made more than his share of epically-long movies, he usually doesn’t have to fight with studios over their length. It wouldn’t have been outside the realm of possibility that the director decided to cut the film down, if only for time, and Robbie got lost in the process.

It also sounds like the editing process on The Wolf of Wall Street, which was headed by frequent Scorsese collaborator Thelma Schoonmaker, was simply long. It’s possible that multiple cuts of the movie were considered, and perhaps some of them didn’t include Robbie, or didn’t include much of her. Ultimately, the actress went into the movie wondering how much of her performance was in the final film. She continued…

One has to imagine that there was never any real risk of Margot Robbie being cut. Martin Scorsese clearly knew what he had, as Robbie’s performance in the film is significant, and she steals every scene that she’s in, even when she's not naked. The Wolf of Wall Street isn’t about her, but it wouldn’t be as good a film if she weren’t in it.

Based on the early buzz, it’s looking like One Battle After Another, the new film from Paul Thomas Anderson starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Denicio del Toro, is going to be something special when it arrives in theaters this week. One person who believes that is director Steven Spielberg, who has been praising the movie ahead of release, something that has the movie’s two stars absolutely losing it.

Speaking with Extra, DiCaprio and del Toro are asked their thoughts on Spielberg’s praise of One Battle After Another. And while both are clearly thrilled, they actually have difficulty getting the words out, which is something of a shock for two guys who are generally paid a lot of money specifically to speak. It’s kind of adorable. Check it out.

Leonardo DiCaprio was directed by Spielberg in Catch Me If You Can, and it’s clear the actor has a great deal of respect for the accomplished director. He appreciates the compliments for his new movie. While DiCaprio has talked about how The Big Lebowski inspired him, he also mentions another influence that Spielberg called out from another great director (and one of the great cinematic comedies of all time) Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove. DiCaprio said…

While Benicio del Toro has never been directed by Steven Spielberg, he clearly knows the man’s work. He makes his own reference to Spielberg’s first film, The Duel, a movie that, even for a great director like Spielberg, not a lot of people have seen. Del Toro seems to feel that One Battle After Another takes a bit of inspiration from the movie, saying…

Del Toro makes a great point in calling out Spielberg’s ability to make movies that are both emotionally resonant with audiences and successful at the box office. Many projects tend to fall in one camp or the other, and Steven Spielberg is one of a fairly small class who can make movies that both win awards and win at the box office.

One Battle After Another feels like a film that will certainly be in the awards hunt when the first months of 2026 roll around. The question of whether it will also be a crowd-pleaser is another topic entirely. Certainly, anybody who hears what Steven Spielberg has to say about the movie may be buying tickets right now.

Leonardo DiCaprio’s latest character sounds less like an indestructible new action movie badass and more like a bathrobe-adjacent bumbler. On the red carpet, the Oscar winner explained that his performance in the upcoming 2025 movie release leans on a very specific pop-culture north star: Jeff Bridges’ “The Dude” from one of the best movies of the ‘90s, The Big Lebowski. Instead of a bulletproof bruiser, the Titanic star and director Paul Thomas Anderson aimed for a guy who’s perpetually off balance—physically and emotionally—and that choice instantly makes One Battle After Another feel different from the typical fall action showcase.

The comments come via a video posted to Variety’s X account, which caught DiCaprio discussing how Anderson pushed him toward a looser, failure-forward energy for the film’s set pieces. In the clip, you can see him grin as he connects the dots between PTA’s sensibility and the Coen Brothers’ all-time slacker, which is still resonating after more than 25 years. Then he spells it out:

That “series of failures” line is intriguing, for sure. Anderson has long loved watching glossy movie stars move like real people. So rather than stage invincible showdowns, One Battle After Another appears to build tension around near-misses and wipeouts. It’s comedy and character baked into the action, which tracks with PTA’s filmmaking sweet spots. DiCaprio also owned up to just how physical that approach became:

This is a cool shift for the Wolf of Wall Street performer. Over the last ten years or so, he’s mostly gone for those big, dramatic roles. But some of his best films let him play smaller, more relatable characters. With Anderson’s unique style and sense of humor, I think audiences can expect something really different.

One Battle After Another is set to tell the story of Bob (DiCaprio), a washed-up revolutionary marooned in stoned paranoia, who lives off-grid with his fiercely self-reliant daughter, Willa. When his old nemesis resurfaces and Willa disappears, Bob lurches back into the world he tried to escape, stumbling through a desperate search that forces both father and daughter to face the wreckage of their past choices. It's a loose book-to-screen adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland, and is the second Pynchon novel PTA has adapted after Inherent Vice (2014).

Invoking The Big Lebowski is a clever choice. The film’s scenes focus less on perfect choreography and more on tone—specifically, how a character's perspective interacts with the world around them. If Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest movie takes a similar approach, we can expect moments filled with chaotic cause-and-effect. This makes perfect sense, as Anderson’s best movies often revolve around this concept.

Audiences can catch Leonardo DiCaprio calling on “The Dude’s” essence when One Battle After Another lands in theaters on September 26th.

Ethan Hawke has never been one to chase traditional Hollywood stardom. While many of his peers starred in some of the best movies of the ’90s, the Training Day alum went another way, starring in smaller movies. He also took time to write novels, direct plays, and teamed up with Richard Linklater on experimental films that have aged into not only Hawke's best films but also classics in their own right. In a recent interview, he reflects on narrowly missing out on the role of Jack Dawson in Titanic and why he’s kinda glad the role ultimately went to Leonardo DiCaprio.

In a recent interview with GQ, promoting his jam-packed 2025 movie schedule slate of upcoming projects, the Quiz Show actor admitted that he wasn’t the right man for James Cameron’s juggernaut. As he put it:

Hawke isn’t exaggerating. When Titanic hit theaters in 1997, Leonardo DiCaprio’s fame exploded to a level few actors have ever experienced. Practically overnight, he went from rising star to global heartthrob, mobbed by screaming fans at premieres, splashed across teen magazines, and hounded by paparazzi who treated him less like an actor and more like a rock star. It was the kind of cultural frenzy usually reserved for pop icons, cementing his place as one of the most recognizable faces on the planet.

This casting “what-if” is a fascinating behind-the-scenes Titanic moment, and also a candid moment from the actor that is quintessential Hawke. At 54, he’s managed to carve out a career that avoids the suffocating intensity of superstardom while still earning respect across film, television, theater, and even literature. He’s the guy who can star in the upcoming The Black Phone 2 one month, shoot a prestige FX drama like the 2025 TV schedule release The Lowdown, and in the next month, turn around and disappear into Lorenz Hart for Linklater’s Blue Moon. That range, unbothered by conventional box office metrics, is exactly why he’s still here (and thriving) in 2025.

It should come as no surprise that the talented performer’s acknowledgment of missing out on Titanic isn’t just self-effacing, but is, in fact, born of personal experience. The Before Sunrise actor saw up close what overnight superstardom can do. Working alongside talents like River Phoenix and Robin Williams early on, he witnessed how the spotlight could magnify vulnerabilities. By sidestepping the role that turned DiCaprio into a global idol, Hawke avoided a level of fame that he now sees might have broken him. Instead, he built longevity through a commitment to art.

And yet, it’s not as if the Dead Poets Society veteran has avoided mainstream projects altogether. He played second lead to Denzel Washington in Training Day, earning an Oscar nomination, dipped into the MCU with Moon Knight, and appeared in buzzy Netflix thrillers. Still, these have always been detours rather than destinations. As he explained:

“Spiderwebby” is a fitting description, but another way to see it is that, for Hawke, these choices have always been about using commercial gigs to fuel the passion projects that keep him grounded in the craft — and that’s something movie fans should celebrate.

Next up, Ethan Hawke takes on his first leading role in a television series with FX’s The Lowdown, premiering September 23. New episodes will air Tuesdays and hit streaming the following day for anyone with a Hulu subscription. He’ll also return to theaters in the upcoming horror movie sequel The Black Phone 2, opening October 17.

Leonardo DiCaprio has made several of the most iconic movies in modern Hollywood. The actor’s numerous Oscar nominations show just how great a performer he is. Millions of people have seen him in dozens of films, but one person who hasn’t seen many Leonardo DiCaprio movies is Leonardo DiCaprio.

In an interview with Paul Thomas Anderson, his director in the upcoming One Battle After Another, for Esquire, Leonardo DiCaprio says that unlike his character Rick Dalton in Once Upon a Time...In Hollywood, he rarely watches his own movies. His one exception to that rule is his film The Aviator, one of his projects with Martin Scorsese. DiCaprio said:

It’s far from uncommon for actors to not watch their own movies. While many will see their own work at the movie's premiere, many actors avoid their own movies after that. There are a variety of reasons given. In some cases, the performer just feels weird watching themself. In other cases actors end up critiquing their own performance pretty harshly so they avoid watching it in order to avoid seeing everything they think they did wrong.

It's arguably an interesting-bordering-on-unexpected choice for a movie that DiCaprio rewatches himself in. As good as The Aviator is, it's probably not the movie most DiCaprio fans rewatch to see the actor in his element. That film feels like it gets overlooked within his filmography alongside others like The Wolf of Wall Street or ONce Upon A Time...In Hollywood.

The Aviator would certainly be a big movie for Leonardo DiCaprio. It marked his second Oscar nomination, but his first for Best Actor, an award he’s been nominated for four additional times since.

However, DiCaprio doesn’t watch the movie in order to review his own performance. The actor says the thing that makes The Aviator special is that it was a landmark movie in his career, one where he felt more than just a hired player. DiCaprio continued…

The Aviator was also the first of DiCaprio’s own movies where he served as a producer, giving him more of a say in the how the finished product turned out. At all of 30 years old, he was the embodiment of accomplishment to be in that position, and with a project that he clearly felt very strongly about. One imagines rewatching the film brings back a lot of those memories, and considering how well regarded The Aviator was, they're likely all good memories.

It never ceases to amaze me when an actor is the spitting image of the real person they are selected to play. I do not think a historical portrayal necessarily lives or dies by the performer’s resemblance to the subject, but I think it is something to appreciate, especially when you consider the amount of biopics starring actors who bear absolutely no resemblance to their role. Here are a few notable examples of actors who were clearly hired for their talents above anything else.

Michael Shannon As Elvis Presley (Elvis & Nixon)

The most requested photo in the National Archives depicts Elvis Presley shaking hands with Richard Nixon in the Oval Office, and the events surrounding this historic meeting at the White House are dramatized in 2016's Elvis & Nixon. Kevin Spacey makes for a visually believable depiction of the 37th United States President, but the otherwise wonderfully talented Michael Shannon simply does not cut it as the one many call the King of Rock 'n Roll, even with a decent jumpsuit and wig.

John Wayne As Genghis Khan (The Conqueror)

Oh, boy, where do we begin with this one? The only visual evidence we have of what Genghis Khan looked like is artist renderings, but it does not take an expert to notice that John Wayne was not Asian. Still, the legendary Western movie star was cast as the Mongol chief in 1956's The Conqueror, which has since been regarded as one of the worst films ever made.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson As John Lennon (Nowhere Boy)

Director Sam Taylor-Johnson's 2009 music biopic Nowhere Boy focuses on the pre-Beatles life of John Lennon, as portrayed by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. If you ask me, the Golden Globe-winning actor might have been a better fit to play, perhaps, Paul McCartney or, better yet, George Harrison.

Tom Cruise As Barry Seal (American Made)

If more people knew about Barry Seal and what he looked like, I believe Tom Cruise's portrayal in 2017's American Made would have been criticized as one of the most egregious miscastings in Hollywood history. The otherwise talented movie star did absolutely nothing to alter his appearance and pass for the ill-fated, heavy-set CIA smuggler, save what I regard as an embarrassing Southern accent.

Julia Roberts As Erin Brockovich (Erin Brockovich)

Julia Roberts gives, arguably, the finest performance of her career as a single mother and paralegal who uncovers a small town pollution scandal in Steven Soderbergh's Erin Brockovich from 2000. However, if a resemblance to the person an actor is portraying were part of the Academy's voting criteria, she might not have won the Oscar.

Denzel Washington As Frank Lucas (American Gangster)

Ridley Scott's 2007 biopic American Gangster dramatizes the career of mobster Frank Lucas, played by Denzel Washington, and also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as Lucas' brother, Huey. Curiously, Ejiofor actually looks a whole lot more like the real Frank than the two-time Oscar winner. However, Washington was a good friend and frequent collaborator of the director's brother, Tony Scott, so he probably had the role in the bag for that, among other reasons.

Johnny Depp As J.M. Barrie (Finding Neverland)

Oddly enough, J.M. Barrie boasted a striking resemblance to another influential author, Edgar Allan Poe, with his tall forehead and small moustache. However, Johnny Depp, who played the Peter Pan author in 2004's Finding Neverland, does not boast a resemblance to either of them, if you ask me.

Hugh Jackman As P.T. Barnum (The Greatest Showman)

Let's not even bother talking about the many historical inaccuracies from The Greatest Showman, 2017's musical retelling of the origins of the circus, and even ignore the fact that P.T. Barnum was not the kindhearted man Hugh Jackman portrayed him as. All that matters to this list is whether or not the Wolverine star looked the part, and the famously attractive Australian actor most definitely was not a match for Barnum in that regard.

Michael Fassbender As Steve Jobs (Steve Jobs)

Michael Fassbender's Oscar-nominated performance in director Danny Boyle and writer Aaron Sorkin's Steve Jobs from 2015 is widely regarded as superior to Ashton Kutcher's portrayal in Jobs from two years earlier. However, at least the former That '70s Show cast member can say he resembled the tech pioneer more closely.

Jesse Eisenberg As Mark Zuckerberg (The Social Network)

Mark Zuckerberg once made a surprise SNL cameo, during which he stood right next to host Jesse Eisenberg on the Studio 8H stage, proving that they are certainly not a visual match. The actor does not even bother to imitate the Facebook founder's distinctly low voice when portraying him in 2010's The Social Network, but his Oscar nomination proves that that is not what really matters in the end.

Tom Hanks As Fred Rogers (A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood)

Casting a universally beloved actor such as Tom Hanks to play a universally beloved children's television personality like Fred Rogers, of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood fame, is brilliant in theory. However, even giving the Oscar winner the icon's signature haircut and sweaters is not quite enough to distract from the fact that you are still unmistakably watching Hanks on screen.

Leonardo DiCaprio As Howard Hughes (The Aviator)

A major inspiration for Marvel's Tony "Iron Man" Stark was Howard Hughes, whose resemblance is actually a striking match for both Robert Downey Jr. and Dominic Cooper, who plays Howard Stark in his early years in the MCU. In fact, I think either one of them would have been a better visual fit for the eccentric millionaire in The Aviator than Leonardo DiCaprio, even if his performance in the 2005 biopic makes it one of his best collaborations with the director, Martin Scorsese.

Warren Beatty And Faye Dunaway As Clyde Barrow And Bonnie Parker (Bonnie And Clyde)

From a performance standpoint, Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway make a great onscreen duo portraying the titular notorious bank robbers in 1967's Bonnie and Clyde. However, the screen legends' casting does not earn the film any points for historical accuracy, considering Beatty does not have Clyde Barrow's jug ears, nor does Dunaway boast Bonnie Parker's sharp, thin face.

Taraji P. Henson As Katherine G. Johnson (Hidden Figures)

Taraji P. Henson gives an undeniably commanding performance in 2016's Hidden Figures as Katherine G. Johnson, a mathematician who was pivotal in helping NASA figure out space travel. Yet, when comparing the Empire star to photos of the real Johnson, it is clear the actor does not resemble her much at all.

Anthony Hopkins As Richard Nixon (Nixon)

Reportedly, Anthony Hopkins had some hesitation about taking on the lead role of Oliver Stone's 1995 biopic about Richard M. Nixon. Ultimately, I would say the Academy Award winner went on to give a great performance in Nixon, but I find myself distracted by his struggle to hide his accent and his obvious fake teeth and hairpiece that really do not help make him look any closer in resemblance to the disgraced U.S. president.

Margot Robbie As Queen Elizabeth I (Mary Queen Of Scots)

Cate Blanchett previously gave an Academy Award-nominated performance as the lead of 1998's Elizabeth, and even bore a strong resemblance to the royal based on artist renderings. I cannot say the same about Margot Robbie, even if the Australian actor's portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I in Mary Queen of Scots was still worthy of praise.

Benedict Cumberbatch As Alan Turing (The Imitation Game)

Benedict Cumberbatch has such a distinct appearance, making it difficult for him to resemble anyone else without heavy alterations. However, nothing was done to make him look any closer to World War II-era computer scientist Alan Turing in The Imitation Game.

Javier Bardem As Desi Arnaz (Being The Ricardos)

Oscar winner Nicole Kidman went above and beyond to physically become Lucille Ball for writer and director Aaron Sorkin's dramatization of what went on behind the scenes of the beloved TV sitcom, I Love Lucy. However, playing her onscreen husband is Oscar winner Javier Bardem, who does not pass for Desi Arnaz in the slightest.

Ray Liotta As Shoeless Joe Jackson (Field Of Dreams)

Technically, Ray Liotta plays the ghost of Shoeless Joe Jackson in Field of Dreams, but even a person's spectral remnant should look something like them. The infamous MLB player had a much narrower face and wider ears, not to mention that he pitched left-handed, while the actor did the opposite in the beloved sports movie.

Beyoncé As Etta James (Cadillac Records)

No one could possibly deny that Beyoncé has the pipes to match Etta James, which had to have been the reason why she was cast in 2008's Cadillac Records. However, the "At Last" singer was short and round-faced, and the former Destiny's Child member is neither.

Dominic West As Prince Charles III (The Crown)

I mean no disrespect to Prince Charles III, but is it just me, or was The Wire star Dominic West just a little too handsome to play the Royal Family member on The Crown? Then again, any one cast member's portrayal on the historical Netflix series might pale in comparison to Elizabeth Debicki's striking resemblance to Princess Diana.

Kane Hodder As Ed Gein (Ed Gein: The Butcher Of Plainfield)

The most famous actor to wear Jason Voorhees' hockey mask in the Friday the 13th films must have seemed like an inspired choice to play one of the most notorious serial killers in history in 2007's Ed Gein: The Butcher of Plainfield. However, the 6'2", broadly built Kane Hodder does not boast Gein's narrower face and small stature.

Clive Owen As Bill Clinton (Impeachment: American Crime Story)

In most cases, prosthetics can be very helpful in making an actor look more similar to the person they are portraying, such as when Charlize Theron became Megyn Kelly for Bombshell. Clive Owen adopted this method to play Bill Clinton on Impeachment: American Crime Story, but the makeup only caused the English actor to resemble the 1990s-era President even less.

Angelina Jolie As Christine Collins (Changeling)

Christine Collins is the subject of Clint Eastwood's 2008 period film, Changeling, which is based on the true story of when her missing son was replaced by an impostor. Had she been an even better-known historical figure, there might have been more criticism over casting Angelina Jolie, an actor known for her voluptuous lips, as the thin-lipped 1920s woman.

Fred Armisen As Barack Obama (Saturday Night Live)

Considering the fact that the otherwise extremely talented SNL star Fred Armisen is a white man with a subpar impersonation of the 44th. U.S. President, I'll just say that I am glad Jay Pharoah eventually took over as Barack Obama.

Tom Hulce As Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Amadeus)

Just based on artist renderings of the seminal composer, Tom Hulce was nowhere near a match to play the title role of director Milos Forman's Best Picture Oscar winner, Amadeus, from 1984. However, the actor is widely admired for his performance as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, which earned him a well-deserved Academy Award nomination.

Robert Redford As Harry Longabaugh (Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid)

I wonder how many others like me had no idea that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was based on a true story, which might be how the film was able to get away with casting actors who look nothing like the Western outlaws they play. For instance, Robert Redford's mustache works just fine for the role, but Harry Longabaugh, a.k.a. "The Sundance Kid," did not have long blonde locks.

Diana Ross As Billie Holiday (Lady Sings The Blues)

Most would agree that 1972's Lady Sings the Blues is the superior biopic about the trailblazing "Strange Fruit" singer over The United States vs. Billie Holiday from 2021. However, those same people might also agree that Andra Day was a better fit to play Holiday, physically speaking, than the otherwise wonderfully talented Diana Ross in the earlier film.

Robin Williams As Patch Adams (Patch Adams)

The real Patch Adams hates Tom Shadyac's biopic based on his life, which has nothing to do with the fact that Robin Williams looks nothing like the influential doctor. However, it's still impossible to ignore, especially with how they do not even bother to give the Oscar winner Adams' signature mustache.

Mel Gibson As William Wallace (Braveheart)

In the most well-known illustrations of William Wallace, the Scottish warrior is depicted as having short hair and a beard. Why director Mel Gibson opted against this look when he portrayed Wallace in Braveheart is beyond me.

Serena Scott Thomas As Princess Diana (Diana: Her True Story)

Many actors have portrayed Princess Diana to varying degrees of success, but most consider Serena Scott Thomas from the 1993 two-part miniseries, Diana: Her True Story, to be one of the weakest matches, purely in terms of her physical resemblance.

Zoe Saldaña As Nina Simone (Nina)

The 2016 biopic, Nina, sparked controversy when Zoe Saldaña donned skin-darkening makeup and a prosthetic nose to better resemble singer Nina Simone, which the actor would later admit she regretted.

One of the hottest celebrity events of the year happened over the weekend, as Jeff Bezos tied the knot with Lauren Sánchez. Not surprisingly, the guest list for the Italian wedding included a bevy of A-list celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, Tom Brady, several members of the Kardashian-Jenner family and Leonardo DiCaprio, to name a few, who traveled to party with the newlyweds. In fact, the Titanic star’s girlfriend Vittoria Ceretti appears to have partied so hard she ripped her vintage dress.

While all eyes were undoubtedly on the billionaire couple as they exchanged vows on the historic San Giorgio Maggiore island, several of the attendees made some bold fashion statements. For instance, Khloé Kardashian turned heads in her curve-hugging gown, while Kylie Jenner raised eyebrows for committing a possible wedding faux pas. Vittoria Ceretti had her own attention-getting ensemble, as she sported a blue Dolce & Gabbana gown that was actually made famous by Gisele Bündchen:

Leonardo DiCaprio and Gisele Bündchen famously dated from 2000 to 2005, and I’m not exactly sure how one comes to the decision to wear their boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend’s dress — I’m also not sure if that’s the exact dress or just a replica — but that is the situation 27-year-old model found herself in on Day 3 of the wedding festivities.

Vittoria Ceretti looked amazing in the blue Dolce & Gabbana number, which she accessorized with a matching clutch, but unfortunately — according to her Instagram Stories — the dress was not long for this world.

In a “How it started/how it’s going” Instagram post, Leo’s girlfriend ripped my heart to shreds with her pic of what happened to her dress. No, sorry, that was actually the dress that got ripped to shreds:

I can’t help but wonder what Gisele Bündchen would think of this travesty. Of course, the supermodel was not in attendance to rub shoulders with two of her exes — Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Brady, who she divorced in 2022.

So what kind of things went down at this party to cause such a crime of fashion? According to Page Six, the wedding afterparty was quite the rager, with A-listers pulling an “all-nighter.” Kris Jenner and Corey Gamble were reportedly among the “big dancers” of the night, while Mick Jagger showed off his moves. Gayle King — who traveled to space with Lauren Sánchez earlier this year aboard one of Jeff Bezos’ rockets — also did some dancing.

Sydney Sweeney, Tommy Hilfiger and Jessica Seinfeld also allegedly partied it up as Usher took the stage to perform a medley of his hits. However, when they say “cut up the dance floor,” I don’t think things are actually supposed to get cut, but alas, something terrible happened to that gorgeous Dolce & Gabbana at the party. Hopefully the memories that were made justify the sacrifices.

The gown in question was first worn in 2003 by Gisele Bündchen to the 2003 Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, which was dubbed the “Party of the Year.” Perhaps the Bezos shindig will earn the same nickname for 2025.