Since its release in mid-November 2024, the Christmas movie,Red One,has proven itself to be a potential box office bomb, yet this poor performance isn’t the end of the world for the film’s star, Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson.Johnson is a wrestler-turned-actorwho developed into a major Hollywood star throughout the early 2010s. Johnson has not only distinguished himself as a notable action star, but he has also won hearts by appearing in beloved children’s movies.Johnson is the type of actor that just about any generation will recognize, which makes his failures less damaging than others.
Johnson’s most recent “failure” would probably be his latest movie,Red One.On a budget of $200-$250 million, the holiday action film only grossed $83 million worldwide. On top of that, the film has earned pretty negative reviews, receiving a 33% critics score onRotten Tomatoes, although the audience score is an impressive 93%. In general,Red Onehas been pannedas cliché, boring, and overly cheesy.Yet,with all of these critiques hanging overRed One’shead, the movie’s performance isn’t all that bad, especially for someone like Johnson.
Red One’s Streaming Future Makes Its Box Office Less Important
Red One’s Critics Score Will Also Become Obselete
One aspect ofRed Onethat lessens the effects of its poor box office is the fact that the movie will likely be a streaming success. Following its theatrical release,Red Onewill be added to Prime Video, and there, it will probably garner an impressive viewership. Audiences are much more likely to be sucked in by Johnson and Chris Evans when they can see these actors from the comfort of their home rather than trekking to the theaters for it. Thus,Red Onewill be able to rack up more views, and therefore more money, over time on streaming.
Red One Ending Explained
2024’s Red One is a Christmas movie that sees the kidnapping and rescue of Santa Claus, with lots of action, comedy, and a bit of drama.
The same scenario may be true forRed One’sbad critical reception as well. Although critics have slammedRed One,Rotten Tomatoes shows that audiences are enjoying the movie. This enjoyment could easily increase as the film becomes more widely available on streaming. In this way,Red One’saudience reaction could certainly outweigh critics' opinions. Though the movie may be deemed bad by critics, this fact won’t matter onceRed Oneis easily accessible and starts pulling viewers in with its cast and unique premise.
The Rock Has Several Upcoming Movies That Will Likely Be Major Hits
The Rock Has Already Established Himself
When it comes to Johnson specifically, the actor has even more protection againstRed One’spoor performance. Despite the fact thatRed Onefailed financially and critically, Johnson is going to make up for that very soon withMoana 2, which is almost guaranteed to be a hit. In fact, he has a number of upcoming films that are likely to be successes, including the live-actionMoanaandJumanji 4.With the releases of these films,Red One’sdisappointing performance will be nothing more than a blip in the rearview mirror, as Johnson takes on bigger and better projects.
18%
23%
Walking Tall (2004)
27%
Even without these exciting future projects, Johnson is protected by his reputation. Over the years, Johnson has cemented himself as a lovable actor, so when his movies don’t do so well, it is less of an issuefor the actor. Studios will continue to pick him up for movies, even after a failure likeRed Oneor 2022’sBlack Adam.It also helps that Johnson is part of major franchises and has ties to massive companies like Disney and DC. In this way, Johnson can get away withRed One’sfailings.
Just How Bulletproof Is The Rock To Box Office Disappointments?
Johnson’s Future Explained
Ultimately,Johnson is resistant to Hollywood failure. This isn’t just a theory, but has been proven by his flops, such asBlack Adam, Red Notice,andBay Watch.Each timea Johnson moviefails, the actor just gets right back up again, tackling yet another massive project. Most likely, this trend will continue throughout Johnson’s career, even beyondRed One.It seems likely that Johnson will always have his reputation to cushion him. However, there is a line that should not be crossed, and in order to stay popular, Johnson needs as many good movies as bad ones.
As Johnson continues acting beyondRed One,he will still have to be aware of the types of projects he takes. Despite being protected from complete failure, the actor still needs to offer audiences good quality movies to prove he still has what it takes to be a star. Luckily,Johnson’s near future looks bright withMoana 2,but only time will tell whether the actor can maintain his bulletproof reputationor if his downfall will come from another movie likeRed One.
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.
