LOS ANGELES (AP) – Movie fans aren't exactly feeling the Christmas spirit this weekend, or at least not, judging by attendance at screenings of “The Red One.”
The big-budget, star-driven action comedy starring Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans sold $34.1 million in tickets in its opening weekend in theaters, according to Sunday Studio estimates. It easily exceeded box office revenue, which was dominated by holdovers.
For a traditional studio, a $34.1 million debut on a production budget of over $200 million is a clear sign of failure. Some put the budget closer to $250 million. But Red One is an Amazon-MGM Studios release, with the luxury of playing the long game rather than relying solely on the global box office that Johnson's tentpole often overperforms. There is. This movie will likely remain on Prime Video for years to come.
“Red One,” in which Johnson plays Santa's bodyguard, was originally intended to be streamed as is. It was greenlit before Amazon acquired MGM. One interpretation of that lifecycle is that theatrical revenue is not just a bonus, but an additional gesture to struggling theaters seeking a steady stream of new movies.
“Amazon has over 250 million platform subscribers around the world, and I think this is similar to how Netflix considers content for their platform,” said Amazon MGM Studios Distribution. said Director Kevin Wilson. “There's a lot of value in a film like this in terms of how much attention it gets.”
Red One, the first major studio holiday release since 2018, opened on 4,032 screens, including IMAX and other large formats, over a quiet weekend for major releases.
Since 2020, only seven films that aren't a sequel or based on another intellectual property have grossed more than $30 million at the box office (including “Oppenheimer” and “Knope”).
Warner Bros. handled the international release, grossing an estimated $50 million in two weeks in 75 territories and 14,783 screens.
Still, it's certainly not a theatrical hit in North America. flat “Joker: Folie à deux” A little more was made the first weekend. Red One, directed by Jake Kasdan and produced by Johnson's Seven Bucks, was roundly rejected by critics and received a dismal 33% score on Rotten Tomatoes. “It feels like an unwanted, expensive Christmas present,” Jake Coyle wrote in a review for the Associated Press.
Audiences were kinder to it than Joker 2, and its CinemaScore of A- suggests that perhaps the idea that it will become a perennial holiday favorite isn't so far-fetched.
Wilson said “Red One” is also doing well in the central part of the country and will probably stick around well into Thanksgiving as another option for future giants.
sony's “Venom: The Last Dance” added $7.4 million to this weekend's box office to take second place, bringing the domestic total to $127.6 million. Worldwide, the total amount reaches $436.1 million.
Lionsgate's “The Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever” came in third with $5.4 million. That much more modestly budgeted Christmas movie has already nearly doubled its $10 million production budget in two weeks. In fourth place was A24's Hugh Grant horror “Heretic” with $5.2 million, for a total box office of $20.4 million.
Universal and DreamWorks Animation's Wild Robots rounded out the top five with an additional $4.3 million in its eighth weekend in theaters. The animated film grossed over $300 million worldwide.
A quick stop this weekend before the Thanksgiving tent poles arrive. “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” will face off in theaters next week, along with “Moana 2,” also starring Johnson, opening on Wednesday before the holidays.
“Gladiator II” also got a bit of a head start internationally, opening in 63 markets this weekend and grossing $87 million. This marks an R-rated international release for director Ridley Scott and Paramount. It will be released in the US and Canada on November 22nd.
Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at comScore, said the “Red One” is helping generate momentum heading into the Thanksgiving corridor.
The upcoming releases “will finally bring some excitement to a movie market that has been a little quiet since Labor Day,” he said.
Dergarabedian added that it could be “one of the most profitable Thanksgiving periods in box office history.”
Final national figures will be released on Monday. According to comScore, estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday in U.S. and Canadian theaters are:
1. “Red One,” $34.1 million.
2. “Venom: The Last Dance,” $7.4 million.
3. “The Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever,” $5.4 million.
4. “Maverick,” $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.
