What better time to drop a Christmas-themed trailer than in the throughs of summer? Today, Amazon MGM Studios gave us the gift of the first Red One trailer, starring Dwayne Johnson (Moana, Jumanji franchise, Rampage) and Chris Evans (Knives Out, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Losers) as an odd couple of badasses joining forces to rescue Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons).
The Red One trailer is jam-packed with Christmas-time goodness. Everything from Krampus to mutant killer snowmen makes life difficult for Johnson and Evans as they race against time to locate and rescue Old St Nick. The preview features creative spins on Christmas staples and some Christmas magic. Johnson’s character uses an enchanted gauntlet to transform toys into weapons against anyone standing in the way of Santa coming home for Christmas.
Here’s the official plot synopsis courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios:
After Santa Claus – Code Name: RED ONE – is kidnapped, the North Pole’s Head of Security (Dwayne Johnson) must team up with the world’s most infamous bounty hunter (Chris Evans) in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save Christmas.
Jake Kasdan (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Bad Teacher, Sex Tape) directs Red One based on a story from Hiram Garcia. Chris Morgan wrote the screenplay. Lucy Liu, Kiernan Shipka, Bonnie Hunt, Kristofer Hivju, Nick Kroll, and Wesley Kimmel join Johnson, Evans, and Simmons as primary cast members.
While today’s Red One trailer presents the film as a holly, jolly holiday romp with Johnson’s ceaseless charisma and Evans’s dry wit fueling the yule log fire, a concerning story about Johnson’s professionalism looms over the movie like Krampus stalking naughty children on Christmas Eve. According to a bombshell report, Johnson was frequently late to the set during production, resulting in late starts, fractured schedules, and millions in additional expenditures. “The only thing Dwayne was consistent at was being chronically late,” said one insider. The report states that Johnson was late, on average, seven to eight hours per day and even missed several days. According to the insiders quoted in the report, this cost the production at least $50 million. “It was a f***ing disaster,” the insider said. “Dwayne truly doesn’t give a f***.” However, other sources say that Johnson was never more than an hour late to set up, and a spokesperson for Amazon MGM flat-out denied any issues.
While the reports are concerning, that hasn’t stopped the team from assembling what looks like a thrilling, creative, and hilarious Christmas film. I had no idea what to expect from today’s Red One trailer and was pleasantly surprised by the preview. I’ve been a fan of killer mutant snowmen since my Calvin and Hobbes days. Bring it on!
Amazon MGM Studios will release Red One theatrically in the US on November 15, 2024, and worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures internationally this November.
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