Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” is bursting onto screens with a flourish, taking in over $22.4 million on its opening weekend.

Early projections were for a $25 million opening, and a $3 million Thursday night pushing the Friday “opening day” take in the $9-10 million range. Saturday’s take boosted that closer to the $25 originally expected.

A serio-comic thriller/satire about old revolutionaries and new fascist threats to liberty inspired by a Thomas Pynchon novel, it’s riding an all-star cast, the most hyped trailers of the fall and critical acclaim to the best opening ever for the celebrated filmmaker who gave us “There Will be Blood,” “Boogie Nights,” “Punch Drunk Love” and “Magnolia.”

I’d call it the first PTA movie in ages that I want to see twice, less brooding than “There Will be Blood,” a far more engaging and entertaining film than his “Licorice Pizza” or “Phantom Thread” outings. This should be his biggest hit yet, and reviews should keep it in theaters for a solid month as awards season begins.

DiCaprio, del Toro, Teyana Taylor, Penn, Regina Hall, newcomer Chase Infiniti, with Tony Goldwyn and legendary “Matewan” villain Kevin Tighe as the oligarchs murderously undermining democracy? That’s an “all star cast” in anybody’s book.

The kiddie film “Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie” the live action film based on a live action/animated TV series, is doing just fine as well, on track to come in second at the box office on its opening weekend with a $13.7 (per The Numbers) million take. Kristin Wiig is the biggest name in that cast, with series star Laila Lockhart Kraner taking the show onto the big screen with a splash.

The anime “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle” has owned the past two weekends but is finally falling off to $7.1 million (it’ll be close to $120 million overall by Sunday night).

Fourth place this weekend falls to “The Conjuring: Last Rites” which will fall just short of $7 ($6.86). It’s over $160 million and counting, a big fat fall hit.

And in fifth place, the horror sequel “The Strangers 2” is riding bad reviews and overall disinterest to a $5.9 million weekend. Studio market research isn’t infallible.

“Him” will pull in $3.65 to head the second five.

“The Long Walk” (closing in on $30) will pick up another $3.4 million for seventh.

“Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” has been doing solid business on weekdays and will cling to the Top Ten with a $3.3 million weekend. It’ll clear the $40 million mark but end its run short of $50.

“They Call Him OG” is an Indian action pic on just 800 screens, and it still cracked the top ten ($1.7)

“A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” plummets to $1.25 and swift trip to tenth, and oblivion.

“Freakier Friday” (closing in on $95) and the “Toy Story” re-release and maybe even “Weapons” ($150 million and counting) finally drop out of the top ten.

“The Senior” (won’t ever reach the $10 million mark) as it loses all its screens and vanishes.

“Journey” (still well under $10) and “Him” (about to clear $20) are turning out to be the two biggest flops of the early fall.

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