The holiday-themed action-adventure filmRed Oneis looking at a moderately successful opening weekend haul at the domestic box office, but the film’s audience response might just boost its revenue. StarringDwayne JohnsonandChris Evans,Red Onewas received warmly by opening day crowds, as per the polling platform CinemaScore, which tabulates exit scores on the basis of how likely a viewer is to recommend a given film to others. And the verdict is in;Red Onehas earned a rather solid A- gradefrom audiences, which suggests that it might just have the legs to last the winter.
Movies released at this time of the year are typically leggy— last year’sWonkamade over $600 million worldwide after grossing around $40 million in its opening weekend domestically. ButRed Onecost twice as much as that film, and has the one-two punch ofGladiator IIandWickedto brace for next week. The film’s budget has been reported to be as high as $250 million — a portion of which was attributed to Johnson’s alleged tardiness — which means that it will need to gross at least as much asWonkato be in the clear.
But despitemostly negative reviews—Red Oneholds a “rotten” 32% critics score on the aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes— the film appears to have been embraced by audiences.Red One’s A- CinemaScore is on par with Johnson’s two previous hits with directorJake Kasdan,Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungleand its sequel,Jumanji: The Next Level. Both movies grossed a combined total of over $1.8 billion worldwide, establishing Johnson as a major movie star. His filmsJungle Cruise,RampageandSan Andreasalso earned A- CinemaScores, although his latest attempt at mega success, the superhero filmBlack Adam, stumbled with a B+ grade and terrible box office response.
Can ‘Red One’ Recover Its Reportedly Massive Budget Over the Holiday Period?
Since then, Johnson has been attempting to re-establish his reign atop Hollywood, andRed Oneis supposedly a major stepping stone. But unlike his past hits, which were all mostly well-received by professional critics,Red Onehas largely been dismissed.In his review, Collider’sNate Richardwrote that the movie struggles “to decide whether it wants to take itself seriously or be more self-aware about its general absurdity.”Red Onefollows the head of North Pole security (Johnson) as he attempts to locate the kidnapped Santa Claus on Christmas Eve.
The Oscar-winningJ.K. Simmonsstars as Santa, whileLucy Liu,Kiernan ShipkaandBonnie Huntround out the rest of the cast. Having already opened in several overseas markets,Red Oneis entering domestic release with $30 million in the bank. You can watch the film in theaters, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
After Santa Claus is kidnapped, the North Pole’s Head of Security and a notorious bounty hunter embark on a globe-spanning mission to rescue him. This action-packed adventure unfolds as they navigate various challenges to safeguard Christmas, emphasizing teamwork and determination against a backdrop of festive intrigue.
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