Leonardo DiCaprio has starred in over 30 feature films, many of which are critically acclaimed, but the Academy Award-winning actor has one regret in his sprawling career. In an interview with his One Battle After Another director Paul Thomas Anderson, DiCaprio admitted that he regrets passing on the 1997 film Boogie Nights.
"I’ll say it even though you’re here: My biggest regret is not doing Boogie Nights. It was a profound movie of my generation," DiCaprio shared and added, "I can’t imagine anyone but Mark [Wahlberg] in it. When I finally got to see that movie, I just thought it was a masterpiece. It’s ironic that you’re the person asking that question, but it’s true."
DiCaprio was Anderson's first pick to portray the character Eddie Adams after he was impressed with his performance The Basketball Diaries (1995), he had to turn it down as he had already signed on to play the lead in Titanic, the James Cameron's film that propelled his fame worldwide. It was DiCaprio who suggested Mark Wahlberg's name for Anderson's Boogie Nights. One Battle After Another marks their first collaboration.
The cast of One Battle After Another, which is expected to be inspired from Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel Vineland, also includes Alana Haim (Licorice Pizza), Shayna McHayle, and Wood Harris. The film reunites Anderson with composer Johnny Greenwood after five previous collaborations. Filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson is making a comeback after 2021's Licorice Pizza with the upcoming film. Besides directing, Paul will also serve as the film's writer as well as producer. The film hits theatres on September 26.