Dwayne Johnson’s ‘Red One’ Tops Box Office Despite Lackluster Debut Weekend

By
Aleksandar K.
-
6

Moviegoers seemingly lacked Christmas spirit this weekend, judging by the attendance at “Red One” showings. The big-budget, star-studded action comedy featuring Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans drew $34.1 million in its opening weekend, according to studio estimates on Sunday. It topped a box office largely dominated by holdover films.

Traditionally, a $34.1 million debut against a production budget exceeding $200 million signals a flop, with some estimates placing the budget closer to $250 million. However, “Red One” is an Amazon MGM Studios production, allowing the luxury of a long-term strategy rather than relying solely on immediate global box office success, where Johnson-led films often excel. The film is expected to have a prolonged life on Amazon’s Prime Video for years to come.


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Johnson portrays Santa’s bodyguard in “Red One,” which was initially intended for a straight-to-streaming release and was greenlit before Amazon’s acquisition of MGM. The theatrical earnings appear as more of a bonus, serving also as a supportive gesture to theaters craving a steady flow of new films.

“Amazon has over 250 million subscribers worldwide,” explained Kevin Wilson, head of distribution for Amazon MGM Studios. “It’s similar to Netflix’s approach; the value of how many viewers a film like this can attract is massive.”

“Red One” marks the first major studio holiday release since 2018, debuting on 4,032 screens including IMAX and other large formats, during an otherwise quiet weekend for major releases. “We’re very pleased with the results,” stated Wilson. “Considering the often unforgiving theatrical marketplace, especially for original films, this is a good outcome for us.”

Since 2020, only seven non-sequel films or those not based on existing intellectual property have opened above $30 million, including “Oppenheimer” and “Nope.” Warner Bros. handled the overseas release, making an estimated $50 million across 75 territories on 14,783 screens over two weekends.

Despite this, “Red One” is not a hit in North America. Even “Joker: Folie à Deux” posted slightly better numbers in its opening weekend. Directed by Jake Kasdan and produced by Johnson’s Seven Bucks, the film received a meager 33% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with Jake Coyle of The Associated Press describing it as “an unwanted high-priced Christmas present.”

However, audiences rated it an A- CinemaScore, faring better than “Joker 2,” suggesting that “Red One” could carve out a niche as a holiday favorite. Wilson noted that the film is performing well in the central United States and might enjoy sustained success over Thanksgiving, providing an alternative to the impending blockbusters.

Sony’s “Venom: The Last Dance” took second place with $7.4 million, bringing its domestic total to $127.6 million and a global total of $436.1 million. Lionsgate’s “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” landed in third with $5.4 million, nearly doubling its modest $10 million production budget in two weeks. A24’s Hugh Grant horror “Heretic” came in fourth with $5.2 million, raising its gross to $20.4 million. Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s “The Wild Robot” rounded out the top five in its eighth weekend with an additional $4.3 million, surpassing $300 million globally.

This weekend serves as a prelude to the Thanksgiving tentpoles. Next week, “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” hit theaters, with “Moana 2” starring Johnson also debuting the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. “Gladiator II” gained an international head start, grossing $87 million in 63 markets, setting a record for both filmmaker Ridley Scott and an R-rated international release from Paramount.

Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore, remarked that “Red One” is contributing to building momentum leading into the Thanksgiving corridor, predicting that the upcoming releases could herald one of the biggest revenue-generating Thanksgiving periods in box office history.

Final domestic figures will be released Monday, but estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore, are:

  1. “Red One,” $34.1 million.
  2. “Venom: The Last Dance,” $7.4 million.
  3. “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” $5.4 million.
  4. “Heretic,” $5.2 million.
  5. “The Wild Robot,” $4.3 million.
  6. “Smile 2,” $3 million.
  7. “Conclave,” $2.9 million.
  8. “Hello, Love, Again,” $2.3 million.
  9. “A Real Pain,” $2.3 million.
  10. “Anora,” $1.8 million.