Leonardo DiCaprio Says Missing ‘Boogie Nights’ Is His Career’s One True Regret

Nearly 30 years after turning down Paul Thomas Anderson’s cult classic for Titanic, DiCaprio finally teams up with the famed director in the action-thriller One Battle After Another, arriving in cinemas September 26, 2025.

In a recent Esquire interview with director Paul Thomas Anderson, Leonardo DiCaprio revealed the “one big regret” of his illustrious career: passing on the lead role in Anderson’s 1997 film Boogie Nights. The Oscar-winning actor called it “a profound movie of my generation” and confessed, “My biggest regret is not doing Boogie Nights. I can’t imagine anyone but Mark [Wahlberg] in it, but when I finally saw the film, I thought it was a masterpiece.”

At the time, DiCaprio was already committed to James Cameron’s Titanic, a decision that changed the course of his career but also meant he had to let Boogie Nights go. He has previously said he wished he could have done both films, but scheduling made that impossible.

The role of Dirk Diggler eventually went to Mark Wahlberg, who portrayed Eddie Adams, a young man discovered by porn director Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds) and transformed into an adult film star. The film went on to become a cult classic and a defining piece of 1990s cinema.

Although DiCaprio and Anderson almost collaborated in 1997, it took nearly three decades for the pairing to finally happen. Their new project, One Battle After Another, is an action-thriller following a group of former revolutionaries who reunite to help their comrade Bob Ferguson (played by DiCaprio) rescue his kidnapped daughter.

The star-studded cast also includes Sean Penn, Teyana Taylor, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, and newcomer Chase Infiniti. The film promises intense action sequences, high emotional stakes, and sweeping cinematography, and will be released in IMAX and 70 mm formats.

Reflecting on the long-delayed collaboration, DiCaprio said, “I’ve been wanting to work with you, Paul, for something like twenty years now. This story felt personal and relevant, and I loved the idea of a washed-up revolutionary trying to erase his past and live a normal life while raising his daughter.”

One Battle After Another hits theaters on September 26, 2025, marking one of the year’s most anticipated cinematic events.