Dwayne Johnson has had several successful movies throughout his career, some of which have become major franchises, butRed Onedid not perform well enough to be theJumanjireplacement. The story ofRed Onefollows Johnson’s character, Callum Drift, who is Head of Security for the North Pole and must enlist the help of a tracker to find Santa after he is kidnapped. In addition to Johnson, thecast ofRed Oneincludes Chris Evans, J.K. Simmons, Lucy Liu, and Kiernan Shipka. Despite its star-studded cast,Red Onefailed to win over critics or audiences.
2017’sJumanji: Welcome to the Junglewas directed by Jake Kasdan, the same director who was at the helm ofRed One. However,theJumanjireboot film received much better reviews and earned more money at the box office, which led to a sequel,Jumanji: The Next Level.Red One’sdisappointing reviewsand box office performance indicate why Johnson should focus on theupcomingJumanji 4instead of aRed Onesequel.
Red One’s Box Office & Reception Hinders Its Franchise Future
Red One Was A Critical And Commercial Disappointment
As of this writing,Red Onehas only earned just under $150 million at the worldwide box office on a massive budget of $250 million(viaBox Office Mojo). That means that the Dwayne Johnson-led Christmas movie is nowhere close to being profitable. The movie was originally envisioned as a streaming release before being changed to a theatrical film after the 2023 Hollywood labor strikes, so it will likely still be a success on streaming, but overall,Red One’s box office haul is very disappointing.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
$962 million
77%
$801 million
72%
$149.6 million (so far)
30%
Additionally,Red Onehas a very lowRotten Tomatoesscore of 30%. In comparison,Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungleand its sequel,Jumanji: The Next Level, have scores of 77% and 72%, respectively. Johnson’s twoJumanjimovies also made much more at the box office.Welcome to the Junglemade $962 million, andThe Next Levelmade just over $800 million. Therefore,it makes much more sense to continue theJumanjifranchise rather than try to pursue a sequel forRed One, with the hopes of a franchise.
Red One’s Core Concept & World Made It Dwayne Johnson’s Plausible Jumanji Replacement
When the release strategy forRed Onewas switched from straight-to-streaming to theatrical, there was hope that the movie could be the start of a new cinematic franchise focused on the holidays.Red Onehad a fun, action-packed story that featured several well-known Christmas characters, and it did spend a significant amount of time fleshing out its world. With that said,Red Onehad all the makings of a cinematic franchise, but it ultimately just did not resonate with audiences.
WhileRed Onehad potential, it clearly could not compete with a major franchise likeJumanji.
Red Onealso offered glimpses of other holidays, suggesting that there were ideas for making movies about Halloween, Easter, and other major holidays. These films have the potential to be fun action-adventure stories, but it doesn’t seem likeRed Onehas enough momentum to justify a sequel.If aRed Onesequel is greenlit, it would probably go straight to streaminginstead of another theatrical release. ThoughRed Onehad potential, it clearly could not compete with a major franchise likeJumanji.
Even Dwayne Johnson Knows Red One Won’t Replace Jumanji Now
Jumanji 4 Will Enter Production Soon
It seems like even Dwayne Johnson is aware that he should focus on the nextJumanjimovie instead of a potentialRed Onesequel. After the release ofJumanji: The Next Levelin 2019, it was unclear when and if a newJumanjimovie would be made. However, arelease date forJumanji 4has finally been set. The film will be released on June 18, 2025, meaning that production on the film will likely start sometime next year. This is good news for Johnson sincehe can instantly focus on a successful franchise after the underwhelming performance ofRed One.
Dwayne Johnson’s New Christmas Movie Repeats A Bad Santa Trope That’s Never Made Sense
Red One is another Christmas movie where Santa Claus is real. Dwayne Johnson’s movie repeats a holiday trope that’s never made sense as a result.
While aRed Onesequel does not need to happen,fans have been eagerly awaiting anotherJumanjimovie for years. Therefore, compared toRed One, people will likely flock to the theaters to see Dwayne Johnson inJumanji 4alongside his co-stars Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan. While not many details aboutJumanji 4are currently known, it has massive box office potential, just like the two previous entries in the series.
Red One
Cast
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.
Jumanji
TheJumanjifranchise originated with the 1995 fantasy adventure film about a magical board game that unleashes real-life jungle dangers into the world. The franchise was revived in 2017 with a modern twist, transforming the game into a video game that traps its players inside an adventurous jungle world. The series blends action, comedy, and fantasy, attracting a broad audience and becoming a major box office success.
