Red One, a festive action-comedy directed by Jake Kasdan and featuring a star-studded cast including Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy Liu, and JK Simmons, has made its mark at the US box office. The movie earned $34.1 million during its opening weekend, securing the top spot despite being labeled a “soft” debut due to its substantial $250 million production budget. The film, which premiered on November 15 across 4,302 theaters in North America, was initially created for streaming but is now competing in theatrical releases through the holiday season.
According to reports, Red One garnered mixed critical reception with a 33% rating on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer and an impressive 90% Popcornmeter score. The movie’s storyline follows Santa Claus, played by JK Simmons, being kidnapped, while Dwayne Johnson takes on the role of the North Pole’s head of security embarking on a daring rescue mission. Chris Evans portrays a bounty hunter, adding more action to the festive plot.
Despite its significant budget and an additional $100 million marketing expense, the film has sparked a conversation about the evolving metrics of success in an era where streaming influences traditional box office performance. Industry experts point out that the domestic box office is experiencing a downturn, with revenues 11% lower than in 2023 and almost 27% below 2019 levels.
Adding intrigue to the production, earlier reports suggested that Dwayne Johnson’s on-set behavior during the filming of Red One contributed to its high costs. The actor later addressed these claims, admitting to unusual habits like using bottles as a makeshift restroom but denying accusations of being excessively late to the set.
The holiday release joins a lineup of major upcoming titles like Gladiator 2, Wicked, and Moana 2, which are anticipated to revitalize box office numbers in the coming months.
