Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Headed for Rare Colossal Flop with Amazon MGM $250 Mil “Red One”

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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson rarely has a flop movie. But forecasts are he’s got a big One coming.

That would be “Red One,” a movie about kidnapping Santa Clause. It will open tomorrow night in previews. With a cost of $250 million, “Red One” looks like it’s going to wind up in the red for real.

So far, critics reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are at 38%. That’s based on only 52 reviews. Amazon MGM has kept most reviewers away from it. But the number will decline when more eyes see it.

At screenings for non critics, the movie has met with mixed reaction according to Rotten Tomatoes’ Audience Meter. More than less of the people who posted reactions called it “boring” and “long.”

The Rotten Tomatoes one line description says it all: “Wrapped in slick packaging but wholly lacking in holiday magic, Red One is a ho-ho-hum action-adventure.”

How could the budget have swelled up to $250 million? Jake Kasdan — who’s never had a hit — is the director. (Yes, he’s the son of the great director Lawrence.) But salaries would be a part of equation, with not only Johnson but Marvel actor Chris Evans and Oscar winner JK Simmons. Johnson is also listed as a producer, so he gets another slice of the pie.

Johnson’s movies average around $150 in the US but are huge internationally. Amazon MGM will count on that for “Red One.” But in an early release, the movie has made just $28 million abroad in a wide variety of locations.

All eyes will be on tomorrow night’s receipts for “Red One.”

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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