LOS ANGELES – The star-studded action-comedy “Red One”, featuring Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans, debuted at the top of the box office this weekend, earning $34.1 million in its first three days, according to studio estimates released Sunday.
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The Amazon MGM Studios production, which was originally intended as a streaming-only release, faced a theatrical debut on 4,032 screens, including premium formats such as IMAX. Despite its box office success, the film’s hefty $200-250 million production budget casts doubt on its profitability as a theatrical release.
A Strategic Move Beyond Box Office Revenue
“Red One,” directed by Jake Kasdan, is positioned as a long-term asset for Amazon Prime Video, where it could enjoy a second life as a perennial holiday favorite.
“Amazon has 250 million-plus worldwide subscribers to the platform. It’s similar to how Netflix views their content strategy,” said Kevin Wilson, Amazon MGM Studios’ head of distribution. “For a movie like this, there’s immense value in the number of eyeballs it attracts over time.”
This strategic approach explains why theatrical earnings may not be the sole metric of success for Amazon’s big-budget holiday gamble.
Mixed Reception but Holiday Potential
While audiences gave “Red One” an A- CinemaScore, critics were less kind, with the film scoring a disappointing 33% on Rotten Tomatoes. The Associated Press’ Jake Coyle described it as “an unwanted high-priced Christmas present.”
Still, Wilson noted that the film performed well in mid-America markets, suggesting it may sustain a solid run through the Thanksgiving holiday, providing an alternative to the upcoming blockbusters.
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Box Office Performance
Globally, “Red One” has also benefited from Warner Bros.’ international distribution, grossing an estimated $50 million in two weekends across 75 territories.
However, its North American debut falls short of recent holiday blockbusters. Even “Joker: Folie à Deux” managed slightly higher first-weekend earnings, underscoring the competitive nature of the holiday box office.
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Top Contenders at the Box Office
Sony’s “Venom: The Last Dance” claimed second place this weekend, adding $7.4 million to its domestic total of $127.6 million, while Lionsgate’s modestly budgeted holiday comedy “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” landed in third with $5.4 million, nearly doubling its $10 million production budget.
Other notable entries include A24’s horror film “Heretic” in fourth place with $5.2 million, and Universal’s animated hit “The Wild Robot”, which rounded out the top five with an additional $4.3 million, bringing its worldwide total to over $300 million.
Thanksgiving Blockbuster Showdown Looms
This weekend served as a prelude to an exciting Thanksgiving lineup. Next week will see the release of “Wicked”, “Gladiator II”, and Disney’s “Moana 2”, also starring Johnson.
Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” has already made a splash internationally, grossing $87 million in 63 markets—a record for Scott and for an R-rated international release by Paramount. It will hit U.S. theaters on November 22.
A Promising Thanksgiving Box Office
Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, described “Red One” as the start of a momentum-building period for theaters.
“The upcoming releases could deliver one of the biggest Thanksgiving box office periods in history,” Dergarabedian said.
Weekend Box Office Estimates (Nov. 3-5)
- “Red One” – $34.1 million
- “Venom: The Last Dance” – $7.4 million
- “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” – $5.4 million
- “Heretic” – $5.2 million
- “The Wild Robot” – $4.3 million
- “Smile 2” – $3 million
- “Conclave” – $2.9 million
- “Hello, Love, Again” – $2.3 million
- “A Real Pain” – $2.3 million
- “Anora” – $1.8 million
Final figures will be released on Monday.
