‘One Battle After Another’ to Compete as Comedy at Golden Globes

Paul Thomas Anderson is ready to lean into the laughs with “One Battle After Another.”

The acclaimed action thriller, loosely inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s novel “Vineland,” will compete in the comedy categories at the upcoming Golden Globe Awards, Variety has confirmed via FYC materials that were sent to voters.

The Warner Bros. epic follows a group of former revolutionaries who reunite to rescue a comrade’s daughter after a long-dormant enemy reemerges. The ensemble cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor and Chase Infiniti. As previously reported by Variety, DiCaprio and Infiniti will compete in the lead acting categories across all groups during awards season, while the rest of the cast will seek consideration in supporting roles.

The film’s tonal balancing act — mixing absurdist humor with Anderson’s trademark intensity — seemed obviously comedic to casual awards observers, and the filmmakers, along with studio awards strategists, felt similarly. In the comedy and musical races, the movie is expected to face off against A24’s “Marty Supreme,” Focus Features’ “Bugonia,” Universal Pictures’ “Wicked: For Good” and others.

With a 95% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 95 rating on Metacritic, “One Battle After Another” has emerged as one of the most celebrated releases of the year. Variety’s recent predictions list it as a major Oscar contender, potentially scoring up to 14 nominations — a number that would tie the record held by “All About Eve” (1950), “Titanic” (1997) and “La La Land” (2016). The film could manage to break the record with the addition of a new casting category this year.

At the Golden Globes, the film also has a shot to make history. Robert Altman’s classic “Nashville” (1975) currently holds the record for most nominations for a single film with 11, while Jacques Audiard’s Spanish-language musical “Emilia Pérez” (2024) is second with 10. Variety’s Globes forecast below has “One Battle After Another” on track to land around 10 nominations, which would tie it with “Emilia Pérez” as the second-most nominated film ever.

If “One Battle After Another” can manage to cross the $100 million domestic mark, it would also qualify for the Globes’ Cinematic and Box Office Achievement category, which requires a film to earn $150 million worldwide and at least $100 million in the U.S. (or equivalent digital streaming metrics). The film has grossed more than $165 million globally but remains shy of the domestic threshold at $65 million. A submission in that race would open the possibility of 11 nominations (without an original song in the mix). Nonetheless, Anderson’s latest may be the rare film that defies category lines with a blend of high-concept spectacle and political farce.

Whether voters see it as an action epic, a biting comedy, or both, “One Battle After Another” is positioned to dominate the season: one award, and one battle, after another.

The Golden Globe nominations will be revealed on Dec. 8. Updated predictions for both film and television categories are listed below.

Film

Best Picture (Drama)
“Avatar: Fire and Ash” (20th Century Studios)
“Frankenstein” (Netflix)
“Hamnet” (Focus Features) ***
“The Secret Agent” (Neon)
“Sentimental Value” (Neon)
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.)

Alternates: “It Was Just an Accident” (Neon); “A House of Dynamite” (Netflix); “Train Dreams” (Netflix)

Best Picture (Comedy or Musical)
“Bugonia” (Focus Features)
“Jay Kelly” (Netflix)
“Marty Supreme” (A24)
“One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) ***
“Song Sung Blue” (Focus Features)
“Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)

Alternates: “No Other Choice” (Neon); “The Testament of Ann Lee” (Searchlight Pictures); “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Story” (Netflix)

Actor (Drama)
Joel Edgerton, “Train Dreams” (Netflix)
Colin Farrell, “Ballad of a Small Player” (Netflix)
Dwayne Johnson, “The Smashing Machine” (A24)
Michael B. Jordan, “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
Wagner Moura, “The Secret Agent” (Neon) ***
Jeremy Allen White, “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere” (20th Century Studios)

Alternates: Russell Crowe, “Nuremberg” (Sony Pictures Classics); Daniel Day-Lewis, “Anemone” (Focus Features); Oscar Isaac, “Frankenstein” (Netflix)

Actor (Comedy or Musical)
Timothée Chalamet, “Marty Supreme” (A24) ***
Leonardo DiCaprio, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Ethan Hawke, “Blue Moon” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Hugh Jackman, “Song Sung Blue” (Focus Features)
Josh O’Connor, “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Story” (Netflix)
Channing Tatum, “Roofman” (Paramount Pictures)

Alternates: Will Arnett, “Is This Thing On?” (Searchlight Pictures); George Clooney, “Jay Kelly” (Netflix); Jesse Plemons, “Bugonia” (Focus Features)

Actress (Drama)
Jessie Buckley, “Hamnet” (Focus Features) ***
Jennifer Lawrence, “Die My Love” (Mubi)
Renate Reinsve, “Sentimental Value” (Neon)
Julia Roberts, “After the Hunt” (Amazon MGM Studios)
Sydney Sweeney, “Christy” (Black Bear Pictures)
Tessa Thompson, “Hedda” (Amazon MGM Studios)

Alternates: Saja Kilani, “The Voice of Hind Rajab” (U.S. Distributor TBD); Lucy Lui, “Rosemead” (Vertical); June Squibb, “Eleanor the Great” (Sony Pictures Classics)

Actress (Comedy or Musical)
Rose Byrne, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” (A24)
Cynthia Erivo, “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures) ***
Kate Hudson, “Song Sung Blue” (Focus Features)
Chase Infiniti, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Amanda Seyfried, “The Testament of Ann Lee” (Searchlight Pictures)
Emma Stone, “Bugonia” (Focus Features)

Alternates: Olivia Colman, “The Roses” (Searchlight Pictures); Laura Dern, “Is This Thing On?” (Searchlight Pictures); Jodie Foster, “A Private Life” (Sony Pictures Classics)

Supporting Actor
Benicio Del Toro, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Jacob Elordi, “Frankenstein” (Netflix)
Paul Mescal, “Hamnet” (Focus Features)
Sean Penn, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) ***
Adam Sandler, “Jay Kelly” (Netflix)
Stellan Skarsgård, “Sentimental Value” (Neon)

Alternates: Delroy Lindo, “Sinners” (Warner Bros.); William H. Macy, “Train Dreams” (Netflix); Andrew Scott, “Blue Moon” (Sony Pictures Classics)

Supporting Actress
Emily Blunt, “The Smashing Machine” (A24)
Elle Fanning, “Sentimental Value” (Neon)
Ariana Grande, “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures) ***
Regina Hall, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Gwyneth Paltrow, “Marty Supreme” (A24)
Teyana Taylor, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)

Alternates: Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, “Sentimental Value” (Neon); Amy Madigan, “Weapons” (Warner Bros.); Hailee Steinfeld, “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)

Cinematic and Box Office Achievement
“F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)
“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” (Marvel Studios)
“Kpop Demon Hunters” (Netflix)
“Lilo and Stitch” (Walt Disney Pictures)
“A Minecraft Movie” (Warner Bros.)
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.) ***
“Superman” (DC Studios)
“Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)

Alternates: “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” (Marvel Studios); “How to Train Your Dragon” (Universal Pictures); “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” (Paramount Pictures)

Directing
Paul Thomas Anderson, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) ***
Ryan Coogler, “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
Kleber Mendonça Filho, “The Secret Agent” (Neon)
Jafar Panahi, “It Was Just an Accident” (Neon)
Joachim Trier, “Sentimental Value” (Neon)
Chloé Zhao, “Hamnet” (Focus Features)

Alternates: Park Chan-wook, “No Other Choice” (Neon); Jon M. Chu, “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures); Josh Safdie, “Marty Supreme” (A24)

Screenplay
“Bugonia” (Focus Features) — Will Tracy
“Hamnet” (Focus Features) — Maggie O’Farrell and Chloé Zhao
“Marty Supreme” (A24) — Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie
“One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) — Paul Thomas Anderson
“Sentimental Value” (Neon) — Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt ***
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.) — Ryan Coogler

Alternates: “It Was Just an Accident” (Neon) — Jafar Panahi; “Jay Kelly” (Netflix) — Noah Baumbach, Emily Mortimer; “The Secret Agent” (Neon) — Kleber Mendonça Filho

Original Score
“Frankenstein” (Netflix) — Alexandre Desplat
“Hamnet” (Focus Features) — Max Richter
“Hedda” (Amazon MGM Studios) — Hildur Guðnadóttir
“A House of Dynamite” (Netflix) — Volker Bertlemann
“One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) — Jonny Greenwood
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.) — Ludwig Göransson ***

Alternates: “Avatar: Fire and Ash” (20th Century Studios) — Simon Franglen; “F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.) — Hans Zimmer; “Jay Kelly” (Netflix) — Nicholas Britell

Original Song
“F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.) — “Drive” by John Mayer, Ed Sheeran, Blake Slatkin
“KPop Demon Hunters” (Netflix) — “Golden” by EJAE and Mark Sonnenblick ***
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.) — “I Lied to You” by Ludwig Göransson and Raphael Saadiq
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.) — “Last Time (I Seen the Sun)” by Miles Caton, Ludwig Göransson and Alice Smith
“Train Dreams” (Netflix) — “Train Dreams” by Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner
“Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures) — “The Girl in the Bubble” by Stephen Schwartz

Alternates: “Highest 2 Lowest” from “Highest 2 Lowest” (A24/Apple Original Films); “Waiting on a Wish” from “Snow White” (Walt Disney Pictures); “No Place Like Home” from “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)

Animated Feature
“Arco” (Neon)
“Elio” (Pixar)
“KPop Demon Hunters” (Netflix) ***
“Little Amélie or the Character of Rain” (GKids)
“Ne Zha 2” (A24)
“Zootopia 2” (Walt Disney Pictures)

Alternates: “The Bad Guys 2” (DreamWorks Animation); “In Your Dreams” (Netflix); “Scarlet” (Crunchyroll)

Non-English Language Film
“It Was Just an Accident” (Neon) — France
“No Other Choice” (Neon) — South Korea
“Nouvelle Vague” (Netflix) — France
“The Secret Agent” (Neon) — Brazil
“Sentimental Value” (Neon) — Norway ***
“The Voice of Hind Rajab” (U.S. Distributor TBD) — Tunisia

Alternates: “Belén” (Amazon MGM Studios) — Argentina; “Sir?t” (Neon) — Spain; “Sound of Falling” (Mubi) — Germany

Podcast of the Year
“Call Her Daddy”
“Good Hang with Amy Poehler” ***
“SmartLess”
“The Joe Rogan Experience”
“This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von”
“Up First from NPR”

Alternate: “Pod Save America”

TV

TV Series (Drama)
“Andor” (Disney+)
“The Diplomat” (Netflix)
“The Pitt” (HBO Max) ***
“Severance” (Apple TV)
“Stranger Things” (Netflix)
“Task” (HBO Max)

Alternates: “The Gilded Age” (HBO Max); “The Morning Show” (Apple TV); “The White Lotus” (HBO Max)

TV Series (Comedy)
“Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
“Hacks” (HBO Max)
“Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
“The Paper” (Peacock)
“The Studio” (Apple TV) ***
“Wednesday” (Netflix)

Alternates: “The Bear” (FX); “The Chair Company” (HBO Max); “I Love L.A.” (HBO Max); “Nobody Wants This” (Netflix)

TV Limited Series/TV Movie
“Adolescence” (Netflix) ***
“All Her Fault” (Peacock)
“Black Mirror” (Netflix)
“Dying for Sex” (FX)
“The Girlfriend” (Prime Video)
“The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox” (Hulu)

Alternates: “Death by Lightning” (Netflix); “Dope Thief” (Apple TV); “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” (Netflix)

TV Actor (Drama)
Michael C. Hall, “Dexter: Resurrection” (Paramount+)
Ethan Hawke, “The Lowdown” (FX)
Pedro Pascal, “The Last of Us” (HBO Max)
Mark Ruffalo, “Task” (HBO Max)
Adam Scott, “Severance” (Apple TV)
Noah Wyle, “The Pitt” (HBO Max) ***

Alternates: Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise” (Hulu); Diego Luna, “Andor” (Disney+); Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses” (Apple TV)

TV Actor (Comedy)
Adam Brody, “Nobody Wants This” (Netflix)
Domhnall Gleeson, “The Paper” (Peacock)
Glen Powell, “Chad Powers” (Hulu)
Tim Robinson, “The Chair Company” (HBO Max)
Seth Rogen, “The Studio” (Apple TV) ***
Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)

Alternates: Ted Danson, “A Man on the Inside” (Netflix); Steve Martin, “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu); Benito Skinner, “Overcompensating” (Prime Video)

TV Actor (Limited/TV Movie)
Jason Bateman, “Black Rabbit” (Netflix)
Michael Chernus, “Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy” (Peacock)
Stephen Graham, “Adolescence” (Netflix) ***
Brian Tyree Henry, “Dope Thief” (Apple TV)
Charlie Hunnam, “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” (Netflix)
Matthew Rhys, “The Beast in Me” (Netflix)

Alternates: Paul Giamatti, “Black Mirror” (Netflix); Jude Law, “Black Rabbit” (Netflix); Michael Shannon, “Death by Lightning” (Netflix)

TV Actress (Drama)
Jennifer Aniston, “The Morning Show” (Apple TV)
Kathy Bates, “Matlock” (CBS)
Carrie Coon, “The Gilded Age” (HBO Max) ***
Britt Lower, “Severance” (Apple TV)
Keri Russell, “The Diplomat” (Netflix)
Rhea Seehorn, “Pluribus” (Apple TV)

Alternates: Kim Kardashian, “All’s Fair” (Hulu); Elisabeth Moss, “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu); Taylour Paige, “It: Welcome to Derry” (HBO Max)

TV Actress (Comedy)
Quinta Brunson, “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
Selena Gomez, “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
Sabrina Impacciatore, “The Paper” (Peacock) ***
Jenna Ortega, “Wednesday” (Netflix)
Rachel Sennott, “I Love L.A.” (HBO Max)
Jean Smart, “Hacks” (HBO Max)

Alternates: Kristen Bell, “Nobody Wants This” (Netflix); Ayo Edebiri, “The Bear” (FX); Sarah Jessica Parker, “And Just Like That…” (HBO Max)

TV Actress (Limited/TV Movie)
Patricia Arquette, “Murdaugh: Death in the Family” (Hulu)
Claire Danes, “The Beast in Me” (Netflix)
Meghann Fahy, “Sirens” (Netflix)
Sarah Snook, “All Her Fault” (Peacock)
Michelle Williams, “Dying for Sex” (FX) ***
Renée Zellweger, “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” (Peacock)

Alternates: Toni Collette, “Wayward” (Netflix); Kaitlyn Dever, “Apple Cider Vinegar” (Netflix); Robin Wright, “The Girlfriend” (Prime Video)

TV Supporting Actor
Owen Cooper, “Adolescence” (Netflix) ***
Billy Crudup, “The Morning Show” (Apple TV)
Walton Goggins, “The White Lotus” (HBO Max)
Tom Pelphrey, “Task” (HBO Max)
Sam Rockwell, “The White Lotus” (HBO Max)
Tramell Tillman, “Severance” (Apple TV)

Alternates: Patrick Ball, “The Pitt” (HBO Max); Ike Barinholtz, “The Studio” (Apple TV); Jason Isaacs, “The White Lotus” (HBO Max)

TV Supporting Actress
Nicole Beharie, “The Morning Show” (Apple TV)
Erin Doherty, “Adolescence” (Netflix) ***
Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks” (HBO Max)
Allison Janney, “The Diplomat” (Netflix)
Katherine LaNasa, “The Pitt” (HBO Max)
Catherine O’Hara, “The Studio” (Apple TV)

Alternates: Carrie Coon, “The White Lotus” (HBO Max); Parker Posey, “The White Lotus” (HBO Max); Aimee Lou Wood, “The White Lotus” (HBO Max)

Variety parent company Penske Media Corporation owns Golden Globes producer Dick Clark Prods. in a joint venture with Eldridge.