The Battle of Baktan Cross | August 8, 2025 | Paul Thomas Anderson | Leonardo DiCaprio

[TMP]

25 minutes ago, lorddemaxus said:

Adding onto my previous comment, Licorice Pizza has both the 2nd and 5th largest PTA for a post-pandemic film. PTA obviously isn't a famous director but he definitely does have a "hook". He just has never had a geniunely big release before.

The acronyms had me going crazy for a second, haha

[keysersoze123]

6 hours ago, lorddemaxus said:

Adding onto my previous comment, Licorice Pizza has both the 2nd and 5th largest PTA for a post-pandemic film. PTA obviously isn't a famous director but he definitely does have a "hook". He just has never had a geniunely big release before.

Are you look at averages when it opened only prestige theaters in NYC/LA. They are not representative of broader market interest. That audience get hooked into wider base of movies. 

[Eric Deetz]

 

[Eric Deetz]

 

[dudalb]

I hope we will be able to see this film.

[lorddemaxus]

Rewatched Magnolia, and the frog rain scene in it gives me complete confidence in PTA being able to handle a movie with big set pieces.

[karlleng]

Few months ago I saw a rumor that Brad Pitt was going to be in this movie. It was never confirmed tho

[Jake Gittes]

We might have a title.

 

Quote

 

Finally, Paul Thomas Anderson’s next film has a title, “The Battle of Baktan Cross.” The film was previously shooting under the working title “BC Project” (via TheInSneider).

 

Throughout the shoot of this film, we’ve seen the city of Baktan Cross featured throughout leaked photos and videos, seen on building signage and police cars. As far as the etymology of the word “Baktan,” it seems to relate to the cycles of the Mayan calendar.

 

In the past, "Phantom Thread” was a working title which PTA decided to keep, whereas “Soggy Bottom” was a working title that got replaced by “Licorice Pizza”. So, “Baktan Cross” could be the final title, or a placeholder.

 

Warner Bros. greenlit PTA’s latest for a budget that was originally reported to be in the $100-$125M range. Some, including Jeff Sneider, believe it to be along the lines of $175M. The film is said to be PTA’s most “mainstream” to date, with rumors pointing towards a loosely inspired riff on Thomas Pynchon’s “Vineland.” What we’ve noticed so far, from on-set leaks, is that the film is heavy on action, with lots of car chase scenes.

 

 

[Maggie]

I read somewhere that the budget is 140M. I hope the movie makes some money. These old stars getting huge budgets for their prestige before the new generation takes over.

[Selma]

One of my most anticipated movies , pta is one of my fave directors