Almost two weeks after it landed in theaters, Dwayne Johnson’s Red One has crawled over a domestic box-office milestone but is still struggling to hit its full potential. The 2024 action movie sees Johnson suit up as Callum Drift, the head of North Pole security who is forced to work with hacker Jack O’Malley (Chris Evans) to rescue a kidnapped Santa Claus. The Red One cast also features J.K. Simmons as Nick, a.k.a. Santa Claus, alongside Lucy Liu, Kiernan Shipka, Bonnie Hunt, and Kristofer Hivju.

Red One has managed to cross a major milestone with its theatrical run, as reported by Box Office Mojo. Just over two weeks since its November 15 domestic release, the movie has earned over $50 million in the US, though this may still not be enough to ensure a successful run. The movie’s total budget is estimated to be $250 million, with its domestic gross just barely managing to earn a third of its cost. Furthermore, the holiday movie is struggling in international markets. Bringing its worldwide gross to an estimated $118 million, Red One has yet to make even half of its budget.

Could Red One’s Milestone Be A Positive Sign?
New Competition Could Lock The Movie Out Of Succeeding During The Holidays

Alongside on-set controversies that painted an alleged picture of Johnson being an uncooperative and troublesome cast member, the majority of critics were unimpressed by Red One, leading to plenty of negative reception before its release. For instance, Screen Rant’s Simon Gallagher gave a 3 out of 10 stars, saying that “Red One borders on being insipid.” When paired with the highly-anticipated releases of Gladiator II and Wicked, Johnson’s holiday movie has become overshadowed, slipping from the position of #1 movie domestically to third place.

Related How Much Dwayne Johnson Was Paid For Red One Dwayne Johnson is one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors, and that’s no different with his salary for Red One. Here’s how much he made from the movie.

Although a stronger reception with audiences could project better legs during the holiday season, several upcoming releases can overtake the feature. Families in late November and December will have the option to see either Moana 2, Mufasa: The Lion King, and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 in cinemas, providing plenty of competition that could push Red One out of the running for being a seasonal hit. Although the Johnson movie may have little left to perform in theaters, there is still a chance that the holiday action flick will find success via streaming on Prime Video.

Our Thoughts On Red One’s Box Office Battles
Red One Seems Set To Fall Into Obscurity

While Red One held onto the top 3 charts amid the debut of two long-awaited, high-profile features, its fate seems sealed even as its season of choice draws nearer. As theaters begin to screen more highly-anticipated family-friendly movies, Red One will likely lose any interest, making a boost by word-of-mouth amid the holiday season feel impossible.

Related Who Is Red One Even For? The Rock’s latest movie, Red One, has underperformed with critics and at the box office. Who was it aiming its marketing toward to begin with?

As such, many may wonder whether the feature could have had a stronger run if released closer to Christmas or stuck with the streaming release on Prime Video. While it may not have been able to rise above its competition, it could have honed in on its seasonal appeal to stand out among other, less seasonally-focused releases. However, Red One’s chances of box office success are dwindling, meaning the movie may stand out as one of 2024’s notable box-office failures. It will now have to rely on streaming to make up the difference.

Source: Box Office Mojo

After Santa Claus is kidnapped, the North Pole’s Head of Security (Dwayne Johnson) must team up with a notorious bounty hunter (Chris Evans) in a thrilling, globe-spanning mission to save Christmas. This action-packed holiday adventure mixes comedy and festive magic, with an ensemble cast that includes Lucy Liu and J.K. Simmons.Director Jake Kasdan Release Date November 15, 2024 Writers Chris Morgan , Hiram Garcia Cast Dwayne Johnson , Chris Evans , J.K. Simmons , Lucy Liu , Kiernan Shipka , Bonnie Hunt , Kristofer Hivju , Nick Kroll , Wesley Kimmel , Mary Elizabeth Ellis , Wyatt Hunt , Lanz Duffy , Marc Evan Jackson , Ashleigh Domangue , Cody Easterbrook , Jon Rudnitsky , Morla Gorrondona , Jenna Kanell , Rod Maxwell , Fedor Steer , Octavia Grace , Matthew Zuk , Cora Kass , Ahmad Ghafouri , Jeff Chase Character(s) Callum Drift , Jack O’Malley , Santa Claus , Zoe , Gryla , Mrs. Claus , Krampus , Ted , Dylan , Olivia , Young Jack O’Malley , Gene , Uncle Rick , Jamie Hummiston , HIT Instructor , Beef Stew , Ogre Gryla , Krampus Guest , Stage Manager , Cyclops Runtime 123 Minutes Expand