Paul Thomas Anderson Honors Mike De Luca in Golden Globe Speech for Best Director of ‘One Battle After Another’
Writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson celebrated a remarkable evening at the Golden Globes on Sunday, garnering awards for Best Screenplay and Best Director. This follows his double victory in the same categories at the Critics Choice Awards the previous weekend.
During his acceptance speech for Best Director, Anderson described the honor as “generous” and expressed gratitude toward the audience for their “affection” for both him and his film. He also acknowledged Mike De Luca, chairperson of Warner Bros, for his diverse producing vision that has shaped the studio’s successful lineup for 2025, which includes films such as Sinners, Weapons, and One Battle After Another. “I do want to give a [special] thank you to a name that you’ll hear over and over again tonight, and that’s Mike De Luca,” Anderson stated. “The reason why is because he’s behind a lot of these movies, and about 25, 30 years ago he came into my life and he wanted to be my champion and he single handedly supported me in movies that I wanted to make,” he continued. “He said he had a dream of running a studio one day where he was going to let directors do whatever the hell he wanted. That’s out how you get a Sinners. That’s how you get a Weapons. So, I really want to say thank you and I love you.”
Anderson dedicated the Best Director award to his assistant director, producer, and long-time collaborator, Adam Somner, who passed away from anaplastic thyroid cancer in 2024. “There’s an unfortunate title to the people that we work with, assistant director, because that’s inaccurate,” Anderson remarked. “If you get a good one like I had – the best one – what he did for me, for us, for this film, he is why I’m standing here. He made this so much fun, and I think it helped make you all enjoy it the way that you have. I thank you very much for this affection award.”
Additionally, the film received recognition for Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, awarded to Teyana Taylor.
