Dwayne Johnson’s Christmas photo, worth more than $200 million, opens at $34.1 million

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Moviegoers weren’t exactly feeling the Christmas spirit this weekend, or at least not based on their attendance at “Red” impressions.

The big, star-driven action comedy starring Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans sold $34.1 million in tickets in its first weekend in theaters on Sunday, according to studio estimates. It easily topped a box office populated mostly by holdovers.

For traditional studios, a $34.1 million debut against a production budget of more than $200 million would be a clear indication of a flop. Some even estimate the budget to be closer to $250 million. But “Red One” is an Amazon MGM Studios release with the luxury of playing the long game rather than relying solely on the global box office where Johnson tentpoles often overperform. The film may remain on Prime Video for years to come.

“Red One,” in which Johnson plays Santa’s bodyguard, was originally built for direct streaming. It was greenlit before Amazon acquired MGM. One interpretation of its life cycle is that the theatrical revenue is not just a bonus, but an additional gesture to struggling theaters looking for a consistent stream of new films.

“Amazon has more than 250 million subscribers to the platform worldwide. It’s similar to the way Netflix, I think, looks at things for their platform,” said Kevin Wilson, head of distribution for Amazon MGM Studios. “There is tremendous value in a film like this in terms of how many eyes you get.”

The first major studio holiday release since 2018, “Red One” opened on 4,032 screens, including IMAX and other major formats, during an otherwise quiet weekend for major releases.

“We are very happy with the results,” Wilson said. “I think if you look at the theatrical market which can be brutal at times, especially for original films, this is a good outcome for us.”

Since 2020, only seven films that weren’t sequels or based on another piece of intellectual property have grossed more than $30 million (including “Oppenheimer” and “Nope.”)

Warner Bros. is handling its overseas release, where it earned an estimated $50 million over two weekends from 75 territories and 14,783 screens.

Yet it is certainly not a theatrical hit in North America. Even “Joker: Folie à Deux” made a little more in the first weekend. “Red One,” directed by Jake Kasdan and produced by Johnson’s Seven Bucks, was roundly dismissed by critics, with a dismal Rotten Tomatoes score of 33%. Jake Coyle wrote in his review for The Associated Press that it “feels like an unwanted, expensive Christmas present.”

Audiences were friendlier than for “Joker 2,” giving it an A-CinemaScore, perhaps suggesting that the idea of ​​it becoming a perennial holiday favorite isn’t all that outlandish.

“Red One” is also overperforming in the middle of the country, Wilson said, and may have a nice carryover into Thanksgiving as an alternative to the behemoths on the way.

Sonys “Venom: The Last Dance” added $7.4 million at the box office this weekend and took second place, bringing its domestic total to $127.6 million. Worldwide the total is $436.1 million.

Lionsgate’s “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” finished in third place with $5.4 million. That much more modestly budgeted Christmas movie has already nearly doubled its $10 million production budget in two weeks. Fourth place went to A24’s Hugh Grant horror “Heretic,” by $5.2 million, bringing the total gross to $20.4 million.

Universal and DreamWorks animations “The Wild Robot” rounded out the top five during its eighth weekend in theaters with another $4.3 million. The animated film surpassed $300 million worldwide.

This weekend is a quick stopover before the Thanksgiving tent poles arrive. Next week, “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” compete in theaters with “Moana 2”which also stars Johnson, sailing on the Wednesday before the holidays.

“Gladiator II” also got a bit of a head start internationally, where it opened in 63 markets this weekend and grossed $87 million. That’s a record for filmmaker Ridley Scott and for an R-rated international release from Paramount. It opens on November 22 in the US and Canada.

Paul Degarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore, said the “Red” helps set momentum heading into the Thanksgiving corridor.

The upcoming releases, he said, “will finally bring some excitement to the somewhat quiet post-Labor Day theatrical market.”

Degarabedian added that it could be “one of the biggest revenue-generating Thanksgiving periods in box office history.”

The final domestic figures will be announced on Monday. Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday in U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:

1. “Red One,” $34.1 million.

2. “Venom: The Last Dance,” $7.4 million.

3. “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” $5.4 million.

4. “Heretic,” $5.2 million.

5. “The Wild Robot,” $4.3 million.

6. ‘Smile 2’, $3 million.

7. “Conclave,” $2.9 million.

8. “Hello, Love, Again,” $2.3 million.

9. “A Real Pain,” $2.3 million.

10. “Anora,” $1.8 million.