March 15, 2026, the date of the Oscars ceremony, turned out to be a big night for acclaimed filmmakers Paul Thomas Anderson and Ryan Coogler. While the former took home Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Adapted Screenplay trophies for One Battle After Another, the latter won Best Original Screenplay for Sinners.
Beyond the critical acclaim their films have received over the years, several of them have also made an impact at the box office. Let’s take a look at the worldwide earnings and budgets of their last five films to determine which one delivered the best return on investment. Let’s break down the numbers.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s Last Five Films – Worldwide Earnings & Budgets
Here are the budgets and global earnings of the last five theatrical releases directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, according to data from Box Office Mojo:
1. One Battle After Another (2025)
- Worldwide Earnings: $210.9 million
- Budget: $130 million
2. Licorice Pizza (2021)
- Worldwide Earnings: $33.3 million
- Budget: $40 million
3. Phantom Thread (2017)
- Worldwide Earnings: $52.2 million
- Budget: $35 million
4. Inherent Vice (2014)
- Worldwide Earnings: $14.8 million
- Budget: $20 million
5. The Master (2012)
- Worldwide Earnings: $28.7 million
- Budget: $30 million
Paul Thomas Anderson:
- Cumulative Global Earnings: $339.9 million
- Cumulative Budget: $255 million
- Overall Earnings-to-Budget Ratio: 1.33x
Ryan Coogler’s Last Five Films – Worldwide Earnings & Budgets
Now, let’s take a look at the budgets and global earnings of the last five wide theatrical releases directed by Ryan Coogler, according to data from Box Office Mojo:
1. Sinners (2025)
- Worldwide Earnings: $369.4 million
- Budget: $90 million
2. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
- Worldwide Earnings: $859.2 million
- Budget: $250 million
3. Black Panther (2018)
- Worldwide Earnings: $1.350 billion
- Budget: $200 million
4. Creed (2015)
- Worldwide Earnings: $174.2 million
- Budget: $35 million
5. Fruitvale Station (2013)
- Worldwide Earnings: $17.4 million
- Budget: $0.9 million
Ryan Coogler:
- Cumulative Global Earnings: $2.77 billion
- Cumulative Budget: $575.9 million
- Overall Earnings-to-Budget Ratio: 4.81x
What The Numbers Indicate
Based on the above numbers and calculations, the difference is quite clear. Since Paul Thomas Anderson’s films are better known for critical acclaim than box-office success, they have delivered relatively modest returns on their budgets. On the other hand, Ryan Coogler’s films have performed very well commercially, especially Black Panther and Creed. With a much higher return on budget, Ryan Coogler leads when it comes to this box office performance metric.
Sinners – Trailer
One Battle After Another – Trailer
Stay tuned to Koimoi for more box office updates and stories.
Must Read: Michael B. Jordan Box Office: Sinners Vs Creed Vs Black Panther—Which Film Made The Most Profit?
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