Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio shared why he thinks box-office is important

LOS ANGELES — Academy-award winner Leonardo DiCaprio acknowledges the ever-increasing importance of streaming platforms, but feels the box-office will always be an integral part of the film industry.

"I think there’s just an inundation of content and so much production going on now — which is a good thing, obviously. But I think box office is important because it means people are in the seats going to theatre, going to have that communal experience," He told variety.com.

DiCaprio stars alongside names such as Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Chase Infiniti in One Battle After Another, the new Paul Thomas Anderson-directed action thriller.

He shared that his latest movie is "uniquely crafted and specialised" for cinemagoers, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

"I mean, Paul shot this movie in Vista Vision — cameras that have rarely been used since the early ‘60s. He wants people to have that immersive experience and make an action film that’s unexpected, tactile, realistic and something that is probably a lot different than what we’ve been saturated with. In that respect, box office is very important," he said.

DiCaprio is actively encouraging film fans to watch One Battle After Another in a cinema, rather than at home.

The actor said: "I would only hope that people go out to the theatre and experience it the way it’s meant to be seen."

DiCaprio remains one of the biggest names in the movie industry, but he recently revealed that he was once warned that his name was "too ethnic" for Hollywood.

The actor was told by his first agent that he'd need to change his name in order to thrive in the film business.

During an appearance on the New Heights podcast, DiCaprio said: "I go, ‘What do you mean, it’s Leonardo DiCaprio?’ They go, ‘No, too ethnic. They’re never going to hire you.'"