Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another leads Bafta longlist for 2026
By Hannah Roberts, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter
Paul Thomas Anderson’s comedy thriller One Battle After Another, starring Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio, has led the 2026 Bafta longlist with a mammoth 16 mentions.
The movie, which sees DiCaprio’s character go in search of his missing daughter as his old nemesis resurfaces, features in all of the major award categories including best film, adapted screenplay, cinematography and director.
DiCaprio, 51, who won a Bafta 10 years ago for his role in epic western The Revenant, features in the leading actor category, with Benicio Del Toro and Sean Penn both mentioned for supporting actor.
Chase Infiniti, who plays the daughter of DiCaprio’s character, features on the leading actress longlist, with Teyana Taylor in the list for supporting actress.
Close behind One Battle After Another with 14 mentions is Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet, based on Maggie O’Farrell’s book of the same name, which offers an imagined look at the life of William Shakespeare and his wife Anne, named Agnes in the film, following the death of one of their children.
Hamnet is mentioned in categories including best film, outstanding British film, director, adapted screenplay and casting.
The movie’s main stars, Irish actors Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley, who play Shakespeare and Agnes respectively, are mentioned in the leading actor categories.
Buckley’s win at the Critics Choice Awards last weekend indicates she could be in contention for the coveted prize, as well as Oscar, with nominations for this year’s Academy Awards yet to be revealed.
Sinners, a US period piece set at the time of Jim Crow laws, also has 14 mentions with Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme garnering 13.
Hollywood actor Timothee Chalamet, who plays ping-pong champion Marty Mauser in the film, recently secured the leading actor gong at the Critics Choice Awards, having also secured the spotlight award at The Palm Springs International Film Awards on Saturday.
Chalamet features on the leading actor list alongside stars including DiCaprio, Sinners actor Michael B Jordan, Pillion’s Harry Melling, Steve actor Cillian Murphy, Nuremberg star Russell Crowe and Ethan Hawke, for Blue Moon.
Yorgos Lanthimos’s new macabre comedy film Bugonia, starring Emma Stone, has 12 mentions as does Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, starring a potential supporting actor contender Jacob Elordi, who also picked up a prize at the Critics Choice Awards.
Among the major snubs are films Wicked: For Good, biopic Christy, starring Hollywood star Sydney Sweeney, and Anemone, which saw Academy Award-winner Sir Daniel Day-Lewis make his return to the big screen.
Stars of movie musical Wicked – Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo – are mentioned in the supporting actress categories with the film notably missing from categories including best film and casting.
The first half of the two-part film, directed by Jon M Chu, featured in these categories when the 2025 longlist was announced.
The official nominations for this year’s film awards, taking place at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in central London, will be announced on Tuesday January 27.
Bafta film committee chairwoman Emily Stillman said: “Today’s 82 longlisted films reflect a year of outstanding filmmaking told through bold, complex and original storytelling and exceptional craftsmanship.
“The presence of the British film industry across this global list is felt strongly – from our world-class talent, locations and infrastructure to scripts rooted in a distinctly British perspective.
“In a standout year for film, our 8,300 Bafta voting members face a formidable task ahead. We are delighted Bafta’s Film Awards longlists have become such an important part of awards season, giving the spotlight to a vast range of films, and we hope the public will enjoy watching and discussing them as much as we have.”
Winners will be revealed at the Bafta film ceremony hosted by Scottish actor Alan Cumming on Sunday February 22nd.