“Mariah Carey hasn’t even fully thawed yet”: Red One’s Biggest Red Flag Isn’t Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans’ Abysmal Career Track Record
- Netizens believe an early November release is the reason behind the box office struggles of 'Red One' .
- Lead stars Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans continue to face criticism for their recent underwhelming career choices.
- 'Red One's' theatrical release may serve more as a promotional tool for its streaming debut.
The festive season has always been a much sought-after time among big Hollywood releases. When studios have their A-list movies ready for holidays, it becomes a war on who gets the most attention from the movie-going public. This year, Amazon MGM Studios finally joined the competition with Red One.
The makers tried to give a fresh twist to the Christmas genre with Red One by mixing it with some action, adventure, and comedy while keeping the holiday spirit of the audience alive. Although the studio hopes that the movie will become their next big franchise, the early response paints a different picture.
Early Christmas Release Might Leave Red One Out in the Cold
Red One is about the Head of North Pole security, Callum Drift, played by Dwayne Johnson, and a notorious hacker, Jack O’Malley, played by Chris Evans, on a mission to save kidnapped Santa Claus, played by J.K. Simmons.
However, even with such big stars and an interesting plot, the early response to the movie has not been great so far. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Red One earned $34.1 million domestically on its opening day. The film was made with a budget of $250 million.
Netizens speculated the reason for its lackluster opening might be its early November release date, as many felt that the movie got released a bit too early for a Christmas movie.
The first mistake was dropping a Christmas movie in the middle of November. Mariah Carey hasn't even fully thawed yet
— Papa LaRue, Tha Necromancer. 🧟♀️ (@hustleTiLLman) November 17, 2024
It looks good. Are we sure some of this isn't because its not even Thanksgiving yet and we have a Christmas movie a mere two weeks after Halloween?
— PAPI (@1MrPapi) November 17, 2024
They should have released it in December. It’s a harmless fun movie.
— spideymrw (@spideymrw) November 17, 2024
Yup. Definitely would have been a bigger hit in December, I think.
— PAPI (@1MrPapi) November 17, 2024
Another box office disaster for The Rock and Chris Evans.
— AdamInHTownTX (@AdamInHTownTX) November 17, 2024
How long before the latter returns to the MCU?
Looking back at the last few years, the Christmas-themed movies that have opted for a pre-Thanksgiving release date didn’t end well by the time they reached December. Movies like The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, Last Christmas, and The Night Before are some examples in this regard.
Another major challenge for Red One is the continuation of a crowded release calendar. The movie faces competition from some big productions like Gladiator II, Wicked, and Moana 2, followed by anticipated releases such as Kraven the Hunter and Mufasa: The Lion King.
Apart from this, the recent track records of both the lead actors also cast a shadow on the movie’s success. Johnson’s recent movies like Jungle Cruise, Red Notice, and Black Adam have been quite underwhelming, and the actor often faces criticism for being stuck in his big guy roles.
On the other hand, Evans seems to struggle to break his Captain America image and expectations, as his recent movies like The Gray Man, Ghosted, and Pain Hustlers have not lived up to the audience’s expectations. His latest cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine also worked because of his past superhero reputation.
Early Response Paint a Challenging Picture for Red One
The journey of Red One at the international box office is a series of uphill fights. As per The Hollywood Reporter, the movie grossed $84.1 million globally by the end of its opening weekend. However, it still has to go a long way to earn some profits.
Internationally, Red One secured the third spot behind Venom: The Last Dance and Gladiator II. The critical response to the movie has not been great as well, with a rating of 33% on Rotten Tomatoes. Peter Travers of ABC News called the movie a “cynical cash grab faking it as holiday fun.”
With a budget of about $250 million that doesn’t include the marketing costs, the movie will need to gross at least about $600-$700 million worldwide to turn a profit.
However, Amazon might not be aiming for the movie to be a theatrical blockbuster. According to Deadline, Red One was originally intended for streaming only. The theatrical release can be seen as an extended marketing campaign for the film’s intended audience, which can peak during the holiday season on Prime Video.
Red One is now running in theaters.
