Behind the Scenes of “One Battle After Another”: Insights from the Producer and Editor on Managing Budget and Challenges – Crew Call Podcast
On today’s edition of Crew Call, producer Sara Murphy and editor Andy Jurgensen, both long-time collaborators of Paul Thomas Anderson, discuss their latest project, One Battle After Another. The film recently celebrated three wins at the Critics Choice Awards, including Best Picture.
Despite generating over $205 million globally, the film’s reported production cost of $140 million has sparked debate. Critics question whether such a budget was necessary for elements like the car chase. However, Murphy emphasizes that One Battle After Another is a star-driven project shot in California, a location integral to its narrative. She notes, “it’s a California story.”
Murphy defended the budget, stating, “We were not wasteful about it.” She expressed confidence in the financial resources allocated, believing they contributed significantly to the film’s ambitious scope. “I feel good about the budget that we had in order to gain the scope that we brought to this film, that’s what makes it feel big and entertaining and unpredictable and unique,” she said.
Highlighting the importance of local resources, Murphy added, “I hope that we continue to expand the tax credit here so that we can keep work here.” Anderson dedicated several years to scouting locations across California, collaborating closely with his production designer to find settings that naturally enhanced the script’s storyline.
Jurgensen elaborated on the editing process of the film, which runs for 2 hours and 40 minutes, describing it as a breathless and rapid experience. He also discussed Anderson’s choice to shoot in VistaVision and Super 35 formats, as well as cinematic influences such as The French Connection and Gillo Pontecorvo’s Oscar-nominated The Battle of Algiers. Notably, Jurgensen found the most challenging sequence to edit was the confrontation between Chase Infiniti’s Willa and Sean Penn’s Col. Steven J. Lockjaw, rather than the car chase scenes.
One Battle After Another is currently available for streaming on HBO Max.
