Teyana Taylor has been 'begging' Paul Thomas Anderson for One Battle After Another sequel
Teyana Taylor has unfinished business with Perfidia Beverly Hills.
Teyana Taylor says she has been “begging” director Paul Thomas Anderson to make a sequel to One Battle After Another, insisting there is still more story to tell for her character, Perfidia Beverly Hills.
The 35-year-old star has been a frontrunner this awards season and earned her first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Perfidia, a key member of the French 75 in the acclaimed black comedy action‑thriller, which also stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, and Regina Hall.
In the film, Perfidia serves as one of the group’s most formidable operatives, navigating shifting alliances and high‑stakes missions while concealing a complicated past. Her storyline hints at a 16‑year gap in her history, and her final scenes leave her future — and her loyalties — unresolved.
Speaking to IndieWire, Teyana said she wants the chance to explore that missing chapter.
She explained: "This whole journey in this space has been a marathon, not a sprint. So I’m taking my time because I’m still trying to process everything, all while still having these important conversations, wanting people to fully understand who Perfidia is, and giving better insight on who she is and the overall goal of the whole movie. So I haven’t taken up the time to pat myself on the back yet because there’s much more left to this marathon, and much more to do, because you still have people that may not understand who Perfidia is. You have some people that have seen it several times, and it only makes you understand her even more."
Teyana said she regularly jokes with the director about revisiting Perfidia’s story.
She said: “Here and there, I make little jokes with Paul. I’m like, ‘We need to see what Perfidia did in those 16 years.’”
Teyana also believes a sequel could explore Perfidia’s dynamic with Regina Hall’s character, Willa.
She suggested: “Perfidia and Willa need some scenes together. When Willa walked out the door in that last scene, I said, ‘Where’s she really going? Is she going to free Deandra? Is she going to find her mommy?’ I love that it’s still hopeful, and it’s room for a little part two in there somewhere.”
According to Teyana, the idea of a follow‑up isn’t just wishful thinking.
She said: “The conversations are very, very real.
“I want to give everybody confirmation that I am currently begging PTA to give us that. I’m begging him to give us that.”
