Dwayne Johnson shares a new image from Red One, offering a new look at J. K. Simmons’ and his characters in costume. Scheduled to release on Prime Video in late 2023, the action-comedy Christmas movie sees Johnson and Chris Evans as the leads Callum Drift and Jack O’Malley as they go on an adventure that subverts the mythology of the holidays. While plot details on Red One remain slim, the Jake Kasdan movie is being much hyped for its inventive take on Santa Claus, with Simmons playing the role.
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Now, Dwayne Johnson has posted a new Red One image to Instagram, revealing his hero as he is accompanied by Simmons’ swaggering Santa.

While Simmons’ suit still adheres to the red-and-white Christmas theme, his updated costume includes a long coat and leather jacket covering his buffed physique that probably no Santa has ever worn before. The new Santa has also traded his trademark hat for a beanie, strongly indicating that he isn’t another archetypal old elf; rather, a strongly modern take on the character.

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With Red One marking Johnson’s first foray into the Christmas genre, anticipation for the movie is understandably high. What’s more, aside from Johnson, Evans, and Simmons, the film features a stacked cast of A-listers, with Kiernan Shipka, Lucy Liu, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Bonnie Hunt, Nick Kroll, and Kristofer Hivju also attached to star. With filming on Red One currently underway, details about the ensemble cast’s characters are being kept under wraps to avoid potential spoilers, but, so far, it has been confirmed that Hunt would play an updated version of Mrs. Claus opposite Simmons’ Santa, potentially accounting for some comedic quips and hilarious banter in the movie.

One thing that the new image from Johnson cements is that Simmons’ iteration of Santa would be drastically different from the conventional depiction of the jolly old fellow. Simmons’ version of the character will still have a good heart, but he has clearly traded his portly persona for a jacked physique and an apparently stern personality that is uncharacteristic of Santas typically seen in holiday movies. In a recent Red One BTS photo, Johnson described Simmons’ character as “the coolest, strongest, kindest, most bad ass, most loving & most OG Santa Claus of all time,” giving an idea that aside from bearing presents, the new Santa will also take part in the high-octane action in the new film.

With Johnson and Evans pairing up for Red One, the movie can be expected to include elements of a buddy comedy that sees the leads reluctantly work together with some hilarious wrangling. Their trip to the North Pole will obviously entail some fantastic fun and action-packed drama, which could be heavily back dropped by themes of family, considering Red One, after all, is a Christmas movie. How exactly will Simmons’ Santa plays into the genre-bending story remains unclear at this point. But given the inspirations behind Red One, which include movies like Jumanji, Miracle on 34th Street, Hobbs & Shaw, Harry Potter, and It’s a Wonderful Life, it could be possible that Johnson and Evans’ characters team up for a mission where they must persuade and help Santa to save Christmas. More details are expected to follow as production on Red One continues, although it could be a while before some footage from the movie, in the form of a teaser or trailer, is ready.

Next: Everything We Know About Red One

Source: Dwayne Johnson/ Instagram