Leonardo DiCaprio raved about director Paul Thomas Anderson several times, both many months before the release of their upcoming film One Battle After Another, and also in the build-up to its Sept. 26 debut in theaters. Steven Spielberg also gushed over Anderson’s work on the highly anticipated film. But even the best directors still look back on one or two of the “what if” moments in the movie industry, and that’s the case for Anderson.
DiCaprio admitted to Deadline back in early April that Anderson was a director he’s wanted to work with for “almost 20 years.”
“I’ve been wanting to work with Paul [Thomas Anderson] for almost 20 years now,” DiCaprio said at CinemaCon.
“… He’s one of the most unique talents of our time.”
While One Battle After Another continues to earn rave reviews from critics ahead of its official release date, Anderson recently admitted that he was “disappointed” to not get a chance at directing a Mission: Impossible film.
‘One Battle After Another’ Director Paul Thomas Anderson ‘Disappointed’ to Never Direct a ‘Mission: Impossible’ Film
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
In the lead-up to One Battle After Another’s debut in theaters, you’d be hard-pressed not to find high praise coming in Anderson’s direction. However, as the director admitted to the French newspaper Le Figaro, in comments translated by Culture Crave, he’s “disappointed” to have never had the chance to direct a film in Tom Cruise’s beloved Mission: Impossible series.
“I would have loved to, but I never got that call. I was very disappointed. I think Tom Cruise is done with Mission: Impossible now, so it won’t happen,” Anderson reportedly told Le Figaro.
Paul Thomas Anderson wishes he got a chance to direct a ‘Mission: Impossible’ movie
“I would have loved to, but I never got that call. I was very disappointed. I think Tom Cruise is done with Mission: Impossible now, so it won’t happen”
(via @LeFigaroTV) pic.twitter.com/rN4u7Q6emY
— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) September 23, 2025
Anderson’s comments come after the May 23, 2025, release of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, which is widely believed to be Cruise’s final film in the franchise.
The Mission: Impossible franchise features eight movies, with the first four all featuring different directors. Mission: Impossible (1996) was directed by Brian De Palma, followed by Mission: Impossible 2 (2000) by John Woo, Mission: Impossible III (2006) by J.J. Abrams and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) by Brad Bird.
The final four movies in the series were released in 2015, 2018, 2023 and 2025, and were all directed by Christopher McQuarrie.
‘One Battle After Another’ Continues to Earn Stellar Reviews
While the fan reviews for One Battle After Another will begin rolling in after the movie hits theaters, critics have offered impressively high marks to Anderson’s new film starring DiCaprio. At the time this is being written, there have been 119 critics’ reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, culminating in a score of 97 percent.
Along with the high marks, One Battle After Another has already been dubbed “certified fresh” by the popular review site.
The impressive early reviews have also poured in on Metacritic, with the film earning a 96 percent score based on 40 critics’ reviews. Of those 40 reviews, 38 gave One Battle After Another a “positive” grade, while two were “mixed.” There has yet to be a single negative review for the film on the site.
Related: Steven Spielberg Couldn’t Say Enough About ‘Insane’ Movie ‘One Battle After Another’
