Red One is a 2024 American epic Christmas film directed by Jake Kasdan and written by Chris Morgan, from an original story by Hiram Garcia. It stars Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy Liu, J. K. Simmons, Kiernan Shipka, Bonnie Hunt, Nick Kroll, Kristofer Hivju, and Wesley Kimmel. In the film, Callum Drift (Johnson), the head of North Pole security, teams up with the hacker Jack O'Malley (Evans) to locate a kidnapped Santa Claus (Simmons) on Christmas Eve.
Produced by Amazon MGM Studios, Seven Bucks Productions, Chris Morgan Productions, and The Detective Agency,[6][7] Red One is seen as the first of a Christmas-themed action film franchise. Principal photography for the film began in October 2022 and concluded in February 2023, with filming locations including Atlanta.
Red One was first released theatrically by Warner Bros. Pictures internationally on November 6, 2024, and in the United States by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on November 15.[8] The film has grossed only $176.6 million worldwide on a budget of $200–$250 million, and has received mostly negative reviews from critics.
Plot[]
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, commander of ELF (Enforcement Logistics and Fortification), head of Santa Claus's security detail, requests to retire after one last Christmas run, as he has become disillusioned with increased naughty behavior in the world, exemplified by the growth of Santa's Naughty List. On Christmas Eve, a black ops team breaks into the North Polecomplex 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 apprehends Jack for questioning. A longtime Santa skeptic, Jack did not know the info he hacked was related to Santa and merely sent it 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 by tracking the broker who arranged the deal between Jack and the kidnapper in Aruba. The broker tells them 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 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. He reveals that Grýla came to him to recover the Glaskäfig, a magical imprisoning snow globe. 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 keep Santa in a vault that siphons his magic, knocking him unconscious. Grýla duplicates the Glaskäfig 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.
Zoe and Callum find Jack at the North Pole complex after using a tracker inside him. They realize that Grýla, her team, and Santa never left the North Pole. They also learn that Grýla's team of shapeshifters has taken over the complex. 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 uses the magic word “Kavalame” (Greek for “we ride”) to defeat Grýla seals her inside one of her snow globes. Santa acknowledges his brother while Grýla is taken into Zoe's custody.
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[]
- Dwayne Johnson as Callum Drift
- Chris Evans as Jack O'Malley
- Wyatt Hunt as young Jack
- Lucy Liu as Zoe Harlow
- J. K. Simmons as Santa Claus
- Bonnie Hunt as Mrs. Claus
- Kristofer Hivju as Krampus
- Kiernan Shipka as Grýla
- Morla Gorrondona as Ogre Grýla (voice only)
- Mary Elizabeth Ellis as Olivia
- Wesley Kimmel as Dylan
- Nick Kroll as Ted
- Clayton Cooper as Young Jack’s Cousin
- Lanz Duffy as Gene
- Marc Evan Jackson as Uncle Rick
- Makana David as the Barista
- Samantha Benson as Christine
- Ashleigh Domangue as Janine Hummiston
- Cody Easterbrook as HIIT Instructor
- Nikki Garza & Abel Arias as Stressed Shopper
- Eric Jermaine Lavette Jr. as Kid with Santa
- Pilot Bunch as Candy Cane Thief
- Juan Alexander as the Suspicious Man
- Megan Hayes as the Snickerdoodle Mother
- Beau Kasdan, Lorelei Kasdan & Otis Kasdan as the Snickerdoodle Kid’s
- Jon Rudnitsky as the Beef Stew
- Greg Clarkson as the Hot Dog Vendor
- Hannah Aslesen as the Essential Oils Woman
- Regina Ting Chen as ELF Agent Ginerva
- James Cheek as ELF Welcoming Agent
- Reinaldo Faberlle as ELF Agent Garcia (voice only)[9]
- Philip Fornah as ELF Agent Fred
- Kenny Waymack Jr. as ELF Agent Kenny
- Gissette Valentin as ELF Agent Barskova
- C.J. Padera as Monitor Elf Agent
- Darryl W. Handy (credited as Darryl Handy) as Air Force General
- Martinez as Air Traffic Controller
- Drew Ater as F22 Raptor Pilot
- Adam Boyer as Yule Lad #1
- Derek Russo as Yule Lad #2
- Michael Tourek as Yule Lad #3
- Kia Shine (credited as Kia Shine Coleman) as Yule Lad #4
- Gabriel ‘G-Rod’ Rodriguez as Mrs. Claus Yule Lad
- Jay Peterson as the Troll
- Shane Costa (credited as Shane M. Costa) as the Churro Vendor
- Cynthia Barrett as MORA Surveillance Technician
- J.R. Adduci (credited as JR Adduci) as MORA Mobile Technician
- Brandon M. Shaw (credited as Brandon Shaw) as MORA Agent
- Alessandro Folchitto as Death Merc
- Amber Abara & Isabella Colt as Beach Woman
- Maria Palomino as Meter Maid
- Matthew Cornwell as Aaron Able/Troll
- Jeff Chase as Cyclops
- Gary Peebles as the Guard
- Marti Matulis as Slap Fight Judge
- Cora Kass, Rod Maxwell, Jenna Kanell, Octavia Grace, Matthew Zuk & Fedor Steer as the Krampus Guests
- Ahmad Ghafouri as the Stage Manager
- Nelson Bonilla as MORA Agent
- Audrey Beth as Mall Shopper (uncredited)
- Andzelika Bobrova as the Model (uncredited)
- Stephanie Brogdon as HIIT Class Member (uncredited)
- Andrew S. McMillan as MORA Tech Staff (uncredited)
- Rick Nehls as Tactical Elf (uncredited)
Release[]
Red One was originally scheduled to be released on Prime Video worldwide in time for Christmas 2023.[10] The release was delayed from December 20, 2023, until November 15, 2024, due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, along with the film getting a worldwide theatrical release.[11] 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".[12] Amazon MGM Studios handled the distribution in the United States, while Warner Bros. Pictures handled the film's international release.[13] In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it was released on November 6, 2024.[14] In Latin America, it was released on November 7, 2024.[15] with pre-release advance screenings starting October 31, 2024. 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. Red One was released on Prime Video on December 12, 2024.[16]
Reception[]
Box office[]
As of December 15, 2024[update], Red One has grossed $92.6 million in the United States and Canada, and $82.6 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $175.2 million.
In the United States and Canada, Red One was 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][17] 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 $32.1 million, topping the box office.[2] Following the film's weak previews performance, 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."[18][19] In its second box office weekend, the film dropped 59% to $13.3 million, finishing in third behind newcomers Wicked and Gladiator II.[20] In its third weekend the film made $12.9 million (and a total of $18.7 million over the five day Thanksgiving frame), dropping just 2.5% from the previous weekend and finishing in fourth behind Gladiator ll, Wicked and Moana 2.[21]
Critical response[]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 31% of 163 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "Wrapped in slick packaging but wholly lacking in holiday magic, Red One is a ho-ho-hum action-adventure." However, the Rotten Tomatoes audience score gave the film a 90% approval rating with an average score of 4.4 out of 5 stars."[22] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 34 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.[23] 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 definitely 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."[24]
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 wrote: "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."[25]
Trailers[]
External links[]
References[]
- ↑ Red One (12A). British Board of Film Classification (September 9, 2024).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 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 (in en-US).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Dwayne Johnson's 'Red One' Targets $30 Million Box Office Bounty (in en-US) (November 12, 2024).
- ↑ Red One – Financial Information. The Numbers.
- ↑ Red One (2024). Box Office Mojo.
- ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 28, 2021). Dwayne Johnson & Dany Garcia's Seven Bucks Developing 'Red One' With Amazon Studios. Retrieved on June 29, 2021.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ McClintock, Pamela (April 10, 2024). "Amazon MGM Teases Dwayne Johnson-Chris Evans Holiday Pic 'Red One,' Expands Theatrical Slate". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
- ↑ Bolomolo, Cameron (June 25, 2024). Red One: Everything We Know about Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans' Christmas Movie So Far.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Gibbons, Laurence (December 2, 2023). Red One: Can Santa Deliver The Rock's Christmas Movie?.
- ↑ Dwayne Johnson Says 'Red One' Needs Imax Screens Like Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer': "With This Technology Could Be Game Over" (November 14, 2024).
- ↑ Peralta, Diego (December 20, 2023). 'Red One' Gets Theatrical Release Next Christmas.
- ↑ Stub
- ↑ Código: Traje Rojo - Películas. Warner Bros. Latino.
- ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (2024-12-09). Dwayne Johnson & Chris Evans’ ‘Red One’ Hitting Prime Video This Week (in en-US).
- ↑ Box Office Preview: Dwayne Johnson-Chris Evans' 'Red One' Kicks Off Year-End Tentpole Parade (in en-US) (November 12, 2024).
- ↑ Box Office: 'Red One' Makes $3.7 Million in Previews (in en-US) (November 15, 2024).
- ↑ Box Office: Dwayne Johnson's $250 Million-Budgeted 'Red One' Debuts to Chilly $34 Million (in en-US) (November 17, 2024).
- ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 24, 2024). 'Wicked' & 'Gladiator II' AKA 'Glicked' Fuel $205M Combined Weekend, Best Pre-Thanksgiving Frame In 11 Years — Sunday AM Box Office Update (in en-US).
- ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 1, 2024). Chee Hoo Mania At The Box Office: 'Moana 2' $221M 5-Day Opening Is Best 5-Day & Thanksgiving Ever; 'Wicked' Wows $117M+ & 'Gladiator II' $44M – Sunday Update.
- ↑ https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/red_one
- ↑ https://www.metacritic.com/movie/red-one/
- ↑ Bradshaw, Peter (November 6, 2024). Red One review – bronto-head Dwayne Johnson weighs down Santa kidnap comedy. The Guardian.
- ↑ Garner, Glenn. "'Red One' Review: Dwayne Johnson & Chris Evans' Slightly Absurd Christmas Action Comedy Commits To The Bit", Deadline Hollywood, November 5, 2024.