Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has reportedly disrupted the production of upcoming action movie Red One, sparking surprised reactions from online commentators.
Johnson, a serial entrepreneur who describes himself as “the hardest worker in the room,” has cultivated a solid reputation as a dedicated performer; he’s the perfect heel in the wrestling ring and a friendly, formidable hero in many major film franchises.
Johnson’s alleged behavior on the set of Red One, however, stands in stark contrast to his stellar reputation.
What Happened On The Set Of ‘Red One’ With Dwayne Johnson?
According to a new report from TheWrap, Johnson often arrived several hours late to the set of Red One, prompting the crew to try and work around him. Three anonymous insiders quoted in the report claim that the actions of the Jumanji star have contributed to a $50 million increase in the film’s budget.
Red One insiders had strong words for Johnson’s behavior — one quipped that “being chronically late” was Johnson’s only consistency.
The comments in the report took the internet by surprise.
One eyebrow-raising claim stood out from the report — an insider said to know Johnson alleges that the star “pees in a Voss water bottle” while shooting previous films, adding, “his team or a PA has to dispose of it.”
The detail prompted jokes, memes and baffled reactions online.
The water bottle story has previously been mentioned by Johnson himself, who framed his unusual habit in a more positive light.
“I usually stay pretty hydrated,” Johnson told Esquire. “I need to go to the bathroom a lot. Not a lot, but probably a couple of times during every workout I have to go to the bathroom. So I break out the bottle.”
The Wrap also quoted insiders who previously worked with Johnson in Rampage, HBO’s Ballers, and Netflix’s Red Notice — many alleged that Johnson’s chronic lateness impacted production.
One insider condemned Johnson’s “refusal to work more than a four-or five-hour day,” and another suggested that his tardiness was “a control thing.”
Commentators were darkly amused by a Ballers crew member who claimed that Johnson’s late arrivals resulted in them qualifying for health insurance, due to the increased amount of time spent on set.
The claims were contested by other sources close to the production of Red One, who told The Wrap that Johnson was, on average, no more than one hour late to set.
Another source close to Amazon MGM suggested that the film’s increase in budget wasn’t unusual, stating, “It is completely normal for there to be budget fluctuations within 15% of the target, which is exactly what we experienced.”
For Amazon, Red One marks the beginning of a potential franchise. The film is intended to be a crowd-pleaser, a Christmas action-comedy from Jake Kasdan, who directed Johnson in two major box office hits — Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and The Next Level.
Red One also boasts a star-studded cast, featuring Lucy Liu, J.K. Simmons, Bonnie Hunt, Nick Kroll, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Wesley Kimmel and Kristofer Hivju.
A spokesperson for Amazon MGM strongly denied the claims made against Johnson in a statement sent to The Wrap:
“Dwayne Johnson and Seven Bucks have been incredible partners on Red One … we couldn’t have made it without Dwayne’s constant work and support. Any reporting that implies that we got to this point with him showing up seven-eight hours late to set is both ridiculous and false.”