Red One: Dwayne Johnson Reveals First Poster of JK Simmons's Santa Claus in Upcoming Christmas Movie
Red One's first trailer arrives on Tuesday, June 25th.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is getting jolly. Johnson is set to lead Red One, an upcoming Christmas film that unites him with Chris Evans, JK Simmons, and Lucy Liu. Red One is described as an action-adventure comedy that tasks the Extremely Large and Formidable (ELF) operative to track down a kidnapped Santa Claus (Simmons). The picture is directed by Jake Kasdan, a frequent collaborator of Johnson's, as the two previously worked together on Jumanji: Welcome the the Jungle and Jumanji: The Next One. While it was originally slated to be a Prime Video streaming release in December 2023, Red One is now scheduled to hit theaters this November.
The Rock Reveals First Red One Poster
Where is Santa Claus?
Taking to social media, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson unveiled the first poster for Red One. The artwork features JK Simmons's Santa Claus plastered on a "MISSING" flyer, noting he was last seen in the North Pole.
‼️MISSING: SANTA CLAUS
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) June 24, 2024
[CODE NAME: RED ONE]‼️
All points alert to everyone around the world— be on the lookout for this man.⁰
Last seen at the North Pole.
If you have any information, please reach out to the E.L.F. North Pole Command Center via the number on the bottom of… pic.twitter.com/cx1NfYuiYd
"WE NEED YOUR HELP. Christmas depends on it," Johnson wrote. "And Nick, buddy, if you're reading this— I will find you. ~ Callum Drift, Commander of The E.L.F."
Johnson added that the Red One trailer will drop "in 24 hours," which gives it a Tuesday, June 25th premiere.
Red One represents the first time that Johnson and Chris Evans are working together. Both men have frequently led franchises, with Johnson fronting multiple Fast & Furious films while Evans was a figurehead of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for eight years. Evans reunites with Simmons within this project, as the two previously collaborated on Apple TV+'s Defending Jacob.
Amazon MGM Studios has a lot riding on Red One's success. The film cost over $250 million to make, and an extra $50 million in costs were reportedly due to Johnson's tardiness to set. TheWrap reported that Johnson would show up to set several hours late every day, causing Red One production to film around his arrival. This report has since been disputed.
The first footage from Red One screened to a select group at CinemaCon this past April, as journalists in attendance were not allowed to write about the ten minutes of footage that they were shown. Deadline kept quiet about specifics but shared that the Christmas flick is "definitely meant for the theatrical" and teased that it is a "world building piece of IP."
Red One hits theaters on November 15th.
