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Red One (film)

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Red One
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJake Kasdan
Screenplay byChris Morgan
Story byHiram Garcia
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyDan Mindel
Edited by
Music byHenry Jackman
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • November 6, 2024 (2024-11-06) (United Kingdom)
  • November 15, 2024 (2024-11-15) (United States)
Running time
123 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$200–250 million[2][3][4]
Box office$84.1 million[5][6]

Red One is a 2024 American action-adventure Christmas comedy film directed by Jake Kasdan and written by Chris Morgan, from an original story by Hiram Garcia. The film follows the head of North Pole security (Dwayne Johnson) teaming up with a notorious hacker (Chris Evans) in order to locate a kidnapped Santa Claus (J. K. Simmons) on Christmas Eve; Lucy Liu, Kiernan Shipka, Bonnie Hunt, Nick Kroll, Kristofer Hivju, and Wesley Kimmel also star. The film is seen as the first of a Christmas-themed franchise, produced by Amazon MGM Studios in association with Seven Bucks Productions, Chris Morgan Productions, and The Detective Agency.[7][8]

Red One was released internationally by Warner Bros. Pictures on November 6 and was released in the United States by Amazon MGM Studios through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on November 15, 2024.[9] The film received generally negative reviews from critics.

Plot

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M.O.R.A (Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority) is a clandestine, multilateral military organization that oversees and protects a secret peace treaty between mythological creatures and humanity. Callum Drift, head commander of Santa Claus's ELF (Enforcement Logistics and Fortification) security, requests to retire after one last Christmas run, as he has become disillusioned with increased bad behavior in the world, exemplified by the growth of Santa's Naughty List. On Christmas Eve, a black ops team breaks into the North Pole complex and kidnaps Santa. Callum notifies Director Zoe Harlow about the kidnapping, and her team discovers that the North Pole's secret location was compromised by Jack O'Malley, a mercenary black-hat hacker who claims to be able to find anything in the world.

Zoe has Jack apprehended for questioning, but Jack did not know the information he hacked was related to Santa, and merely sent said information to an anonymous buyer. Zoe offers to double Jack's payment if he helps them find Santa but places a tracker inside him. Callum reluctantly teams up with Jack to find Santa, first by tracking down the broker who arranged the deal between Jack and the kidnapper in Aruba. The broker tells them that the kidnapper is the winter witch, Grýla. Grýla becomes aware of their conversation and sends her snowmen to eliminate them; though Callum and Jack defeat them, the broker is iced in the scuffle.

Callum suspects that Grýla might be working with Krampus, Santa's estranged adoptive brother, who is also Grýla's ex-lover, and the one who created the Naughty List. Callum and Jack break into Krampus' lair but are captured. Callum appeals to Krampus to help his brother, who misses him, but Krampus refuses. Despite being allowed to leave, Jack stays and persuades Krampus to play Krampusschlap with Callum, during which Jack recovers Callum's magic gauntlet and returns it to him, allowing the pair to escape.

Grýla and her sons have Santa kept in a vault that siphons his magic, knocking him unconscious. Grýla duplicates the glaskafig, a magical imprisoning snow globe, and intends to rid the world of every naughty child who has ever been on the Naughty List by imprisoning them forever. She tests the snow globes on Jack and his estranged son Dylan. She sends each of them a snow globe that imprisons them and returns to her lair. Jack and Dylan, inside their snow globes next to each other, have a heartfelt conversation that, by making them "nicer", causes the snow globes to break and free them.

Using the tracker in Jack, Zoe and Callum find Jack at the North Pole complex, realizing that Grýla, her team, and Santa never left the North Pole. They also learn that the complex is taken over by Grýla's team of shapeshifters. They go to the North Pole and free the imprisoned Mrs. Claus and other security staff. In Santa's old workshop, they find Jack and Dylan and the toy-duplicating equipment that Grýla used to mass-produce the snow globes.

Because the North Pole equipment relies on Santa's powers, Grýla prepares to leave with an unconscious Santa using his sleigh to distribute the snow globes. A fight ensues, and Grýla is stopped by Callum and Jack, with an assist from Krampus, who arrives to help. Santa recovers and acknowledges his brother, while Grýla is sealed inside one of her snow globes and turned over to Zoe's custody.

With Grýla defeated, everyone rapidly prepares for the night's Christmas Eve run. Santa invites Jack and Dylan to accompany him, which they accept. During the successful run, Callum watches Jack regain his wonder and build a relationship with Dylan; this convinces him not to retire.

Cast

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Production

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Hiram Garcia at Seven Bucks Productions conceived the idea for the film,[11] which was developed into a screenplay by Chris Morgan for Jake Kasdan to direct.[12] Chris Evans joined the cast in January 2022.[13] In September 2022, Kiernan Shipka was added to the cast.[14] Lucy Liu, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, J. K. Simmons, Nick Kroll, Kristofer Hivju, Wesley Kimmel and Bonnie Hunt joined the cast the following month, with Ellis revealing her and Simmons' involvement on Instagram.[15][16][17][18] Dwayne Johnson was paid $50 million for his involvement.[19]

Filming began in October 2022 in Atlanta and wrapped in February 2023.[16][20] Filming ran into issues with Johnson, who was an average of seven to eight hours late to film his scenes and missed several days of shooting. These delays reportedly increased the budget by $50 million to a total of $250 million, which Garcia disputed.[4] Johnson later admitted to frequent tardiness as well as urinating in bottles on set, but Evans and Kasdan defended him.[21][22]

Release

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Red One was originally scheduled to be released on Prime Video worldwide in time for Christmas 2023.[23] The release was delayed from December 20, 2023, until November 15, 2024, with the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike cited as the reason, along with the film now getting a worldwide theatrical release.[24][25] Johnson pushed for Red One to be released in IMAX after watching an IMAX screening of Oppenheimer while Red One's principal photography was still underway. Johnson thought that Red One in the IMAX format would be "game over".[26] Amazon MGM will distribute it in the United States, while Warner Bros. Pictures will handle the film's international release.[27] In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it was released on November 6, 2024.[28] In Latin America, it was released on November 7, 2024,[29] with pre-release advance screenings starting October 31, 2024.[30]

Footage of Red One was first shown at CinemaCon in April 2024 to journalists selected by Johnson's publicist, but they were not allowed to write about what they saw.[4]

Reception

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Box office

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As of November 17, 2024, Red One has grossed $34 million in the United States and Canada, and $50 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $84 million.[6][5]

In the United States and Canada, Red One is projected to gross $30–35 million from 4,032 theaters, with some independent sources predicting a debut as low as $25 million or as high as $40 million.[3][31] The film made $10.9 million on its first day, including $3.7 million from Sunday and Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $34 million, topping the box office.[2] Speaking of its opening, Variety concluded that, "With a massive budget of $250 million, plus marketing costs, it'll take a Christmas miracle for Red One to become a profitable hit at the box office."[32]

Critical response

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 33% of 110 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.3/10. The website's consensus reads: "Wrapped in slick packaging but wholly lacking in holiday magic, Red One is a ho-ho-hum action-adventure."[33] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 34 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.[34] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled by PostTrak gave it a 78% overall positive score, with 57% saying they would definetly recommend it.[2]

Peter Bradshaw, writing for The Guardian, gave the film one star out of five, describing it as "profoundly depressing and blandly sentimental" and concluding "this commercial and formulaic slice of content is a toy destined to be forgotten, not by Boxing Day, but mid-November."[35]

Glenn Garner of Deadline Hollywood said the film "blends genres for some family-friendly holiday fun with a generous dose of self-aware absurdity" and write: "Yes, it's cheesy, but this movie is best when it leans heavily into the cheese. If that makes your eyes roll, keep in mind this is a Christmas movie ultimately intended for kids who've made it all the way through the MCU on Disney+ twice and their parents now need a reprieve. There are still some jokes aimed at the cold-hearted adult who will inevitably be dragged along on the family cinema outing."[36]

References

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  1. ^ "Red One (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. September 9, 2024. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 17, 2024). "Dwayne Johnson & Chris Evans' $200M+ Christmas Action Movie 'Red One' Opening To $34M: Is It A Bomb Or A Streamer's Rounding Error? — Saturday AM Box Office". Deadline. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Rubin, Rebecca (November 12, 2024). "Dwayne Johnson's 'Red One' Targets $30 Million Box Office Bounty". Variety. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Gonzalez, Umberto (April 30, 2024). "Red One Down: How Dwayne Johnson's Tardiness Led to a $250 Million Runaway Production". TheWrap. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Red One – Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Red One (2024)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  7. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 28, 2021). "Dwayne Johnson & Dany Garcia's Seven Bucks Developing 'Red One' With Amazon Studios". Deadline. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  8. ^ Jackson, Angelique (January 24, 2022). "Chris Evans and Dwayne Johnson Team for Amazon Holiday Movie 'Red One'". Variety. Archived from the original on November 12, 2022. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  9. ^ McClintock, Pamela (10 April 2024). "Amazon MGM Teases Dwayne Johnson-Chris Evans Holiday Pic 'Red One,' Expands Theatrical Slate". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  10. ^ Bolomolo, Cameron (June 25, 2024). "Red One: Everything We Know about Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans' Christmas Movie So Far".
  11. ^ Lang, Brent (June 28, 2021). "Dwayne Johnson Starring in Holiday Action-Adventure 'Red One' For Amazon Studios". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on October 27, 2022. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  12. ^ Kit, Borys (October 29, 2021). "'Jumanji' Director Jake Kasdan Reuniting With Dwayne Johnson for Holiday Adventure Movie at Amazon". The Hollywood Reporter. PMRC. Archived from the original on October 27, 2022. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  13. ^ Grobar, Matt (January 24, 2022). "'Red One': Chris Evans To Star Opposite Dwayne Johnson In Amazon's Holiday Action-Comedy From Director Jake Kasdan". Deadline. Archived from the original on January 24, 2022. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  14. ^ Grobar, Matt (September 6, 2022). "Kiernan Shipka To Star Opposite Dwayne Johnson & Chris Evans In Jake Kasdan's Holiday Event Film Red One For Prime Video". Deadline. Archived from the original on 24 October 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  15. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 12, 2022). "Lucy Liu To Star Opposite Dwayne Johnson & Chris Evans In Prime Video's Holiday Pic Red One". Deadline. Archived from the original on 24 October 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  16. ^ a b Ellis, Mary Elizabeth (October 15, 2022). "Mary Elizabeth Ellis on Twitter: Verified I had a blast shooting #RedOne in Atlanta this week with @chrisevans #wesleykimmel and the awesome crew! Paparazzi photo isn't the most flattering, but cool to see the fake snow! This giant Christmas movie with the likes of @therock @lucyliu #jksimmons is gonna be hella fun!! #jakekasdan @amazonstudios". Instagram. Archived from the original on 25 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  17. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 24, 2022). "Dwayne Johnson & Chris Evans Prime Video Holiday Pic Red One Adds Nick Kroll, Kristofer Hivju, Wesley Kimmel & Mary Elizabeth Ellis". Deadline. Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  18. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 7, 2022). "Dwayne Johnson-Led Holiday Film Starts Production; Adds J.K. Simmons & Bonnie Hunt To Cast". Deadline. Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  19. ^ Donnelly, Matt (August 18, 2021). "From Daniel Craig to Dwayne Johnson, Inside the Biggest Movie Stars' Salaries". Variety. Archived from the original on August 18, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  20. ^ Leishman, Rachel (October 19, 2022). "Chris Evans Shares a Behind-The-Scenes Look at 'Red One'". Collider. Archived from the original on October 30, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  21. ^ {{Cite web |last=Baron |first=Zach |date=November 11, 2024 |title=Dwayne Johnson Became the World’s Biggest Movie Star. Now He’s Trying to Disappear. |url=https://www.gq.com/story/dwayne-johnson-men-of-the-year-cover-2024 |website=GQ |language=en-US} |access-date=November 16, 2024}
  22. ^ Evans, Greg (November 11, 2024). "Dwayne Johnson Calls 'Red One' Set Controversy "Ridiculous" – But, Yes, He Sometimes Pees In Bottles". Deadline. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  23. ^ Renner, Brian D. "Everything You Need to Know About Red One Movie (2024): Dec. 21, 2023 - changed the US film release date from TBA 2023 to November 15, 2024". Movie Insider. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  24. ^ Gibbons, Laurence (December 2, 2023). "Red One: Can Santa Deliver The Rock's Christmas Movie?". Last Word on Pro Wrestling. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  25. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 20, 2023). "Dwayne Johnson & Chris Evans Seven Bucks Amazon MGM Movie 'Red One' To Jingle In Theaters Next Year". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 20, 2023. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  26. ^ Tinoco, Armando (November 14, 2024). "Dwayne Johnson Says 'Red One' Needs Imax Screens Like Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer': "With This Technology Could Be Game Over"". Variety. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  27. ^ Peralta, Diego (2023-12-20). "'Red One' Gets Theatrical Release Next Christmas". Collider. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  28. ^ "Red One" (Press release). Warner Bros. Pictures.
  29. ^ "WarnerBrosLatino.com - Código: Traje Rojo - Películas". Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  30. ^ "¡'Código Traje Rojo' tendrá Pre-Estreno!". Instagram (in Spanish). 2024-10-26. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  31. ^ McClintock, Pamella (November 12, 2024). "Box Office Preview: Dwayne Johnson-Chris Evans' 'Red One' Kicks Off Year-End Tentpole Parade". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  32. ^ Moreau, Jordan (November 15, 2024). "Box Office: 'Red One' Makes $3.7 Million in Previews". Variety. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  33. ^ "Red One". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  34. ^ "Red One". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  35. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (November 6, 2024). "Red One review – bronto-head Dwayne Johnson weighs down Santa kidnap comedy". The Guardian. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  36. ^ Garner, Glenn (November 5, 2024). "'Red One' Review: Dwayne Johnson & Chris Evans' Slightly Absurd Christmas Action Comedy Commits To The Bit". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
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