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Red One stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Chris Evans in a holiday action film. According to Johnson, the film is set to be Miracle on 34th Street meets Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw, among other films. With classics like Die Hard and recent films like Violent Night, Christmas, and action movies make for a fantastic pairing akin to milk and cookies, and what's a better gift for the masses than a team-up between two of the biggest action stars in Hollywood?
Here's everything we know about The Rock's holiday epic.
The Rock Is Cooking an A24 Film With Benny Safdie — Can You Smell It?
'The Smashing Machine' is being produced by A24.
Does 'Red One' Have a Release Date?
Red One began filming in October 2022, with no official release date confirmed. Amazon Studios is producing the movie, and it will be available to stream on Prime Video once it’s released. Regarding a release window, we can only hope the film will be released in time for Christmas 2024.
Who Are the Cast and Crew Behind 'Red One'?
The cast of Red One is stacked with amazing talent. Of course, headlining the film is Dwayne Johnson as Callum Drift and Chris Evans as Jack O’Malley. While on the surface, it feels like these two unstoppable forces would-be rivals, the film actually sees Drift and O’Malley working together. Johnson is reuniting with his Jumanji: Welcome to The Jungle director Jake Kasdan and Hobbs & Shaw writer Chris Morgan for the Christmas film.
Red One is being backed by Amazon Studios after the company obtained the rights after an intense bidding war. We spoke with Producer Hiram Garcia about Amazon gaining the rights to Red One, and he said:
“We took it [the film] around town, and fortunately all of our studio partners threw their hats in the ring. I was so flattered to see the way everyone was bidding on it, but ultimately Amazon stepped up in a huge way and really understood our ambition and the story we were trying to tell…”
Joining The Rock and Evans will be J.K. Simmons as a shredded Santa Claus. Simmons previously voiced the holiday legend in Netflix's acclaimed animated movie Klaus.
We’ve seen behind-the-scenes photos of Simmons training with Johnson, so you won’t want to mess with this Santa. Johnson shared our first look at Simmons’ take on Santa Claus on his Instagram. Take a look at the images below.
Filling out the rest of the cast are Bonnie Hunt will play Mrs. Claus, with Lucy Liu, Nick Kroll, Mary Elizabeth Ellis (It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia), Wesley Kimmel (The Book of Boba Fett), Kristofer Hivju (Game of Thrones), and Kiernan Shipka.
What Is the Plot of 'Red One'?
The plot of Red One is being kept under wraps for right now, but The Rock did share a few key details on his Instagram page. Johnson described the film:
“Think Jumanji meets Miracle on 34th Street meets Hobbs & Shaw with a dash of Harry Potter and sprinkled on top with my all-time favorite Christmas movie, It’s A Wonderful Life… let all that sink in.”
The film is said to be “...a globe-trotting, four-quadrant action-adventure comedy imagining a whole new universe to explore within the holiday genre.” We can’t make out much from The Rock’s post, but it sounds like the film will skew towards the fantasy world, with Jumanji and Harry Potter as inspiration. Miracle on 34th Street and It’s A Wonderful Life are both holiday classics and focus on the Christmas spirit, while Hobbs & Shaw will probably give us an idea of the type of action we can expect.
Garcia said:
“This is a very special project for me and our entire team. It’s something I have been thinking about for several years. We've always wanted to do a massive holiday Christmas movie, but couldn’t find the right one. We were looking for something that matched DJ's DNA, something that had more bite to it, that was much bigger, and more global. I had this idea for quite a long time, and during the pandemic, I thought to myself, ‘Let me put my head down now while we have this window of time working from home and try to flesh it out.’”
With filming already in motion, Dwayne Johnson has given us a few behind-the-scenes images on his Twitter. Check out his tweet below.
Stream More Action Films Starring The Rock and Chris Evans
While we wait for more details on Red One, let’s revisit Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans’ filmography. The two have carried the action genre for the last decade with a number of beloved thrillers and blockbusters. Here are three action films to stream before the release of Red One.
Black Adam (2022) - Black Adam is the latest [and one of the final?] entries to the DC Extended Universe. Teth Adam (Dwayne Johnson) was bestowed the incredible powers of the gods. A protector of his people, Adam uses the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles, and the speed of Mercury. Even though he has the powers of Shazam, make no mistake, Black Adam is no hero, and that puts him in direct conflict with the Justice Society of America. Black Adam is a film that Johnson has been trying to make a reality for nearly two decades, and it’s lovely to see his vision come to life.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) - Captain America is easily Chris Evans’ most iconic role. The first Avenger sees his worldview shaken after the evil organization, Hydra, returns to implement their new world order. On the lam, Steve and Natasha (Scarlett Johansson) rely on their new ally, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), to assist in taking down Hydra and their super soldier assassin, The Winter Soldier. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is one of the best entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s a non-stop action thriller that gets better with age. Evans established himself as a generational action hero with Marvel’s The Avengers and cemented that legacy with The Winter Soldier.
Jungle Cruise (2021) - Dr. Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt) requests the help of Frank Wolff (Dwayne Johnson), a wisecracking sailor whose job is to take her across the Amazon. The two and Lily’s brother, McGregor (Jack Whitehall), are looking for a magical plant that will change the future of medicine. Based on the Disney World ride of the same name, Jungle Cruise is an action-adventure for the entire family. Blunt and Johnson’s chemistry is electric, a both of them are as charming as ever. It’s an easy watch and will give you a few laughs along the way.