The Christmas season is already kicking off on the big screen, and one of the biggest holiday projects this year is Red One – but due to its budget, it has to perform big at the box office to succeed. 2024 will have an interesting variety of Christmas movies coming to theaters and streaming, and one of the biggest ones – in of production and cast – is Red One. Directed by Jake Kasdan, Red One brings together Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, and J. K. Simmons for an action story set on Christmas Eve.

Red One follows Callum Drift (Johnson), head of Santa Claus’ security, who has requested to retire after this year’s Christmas run. However, on Christmas Eve, Santa Claus (Simmons) is kidnapped, and it’s up to Callum to find and rescue him. Callum is forced to team up with Jack O’Malley (Evans), a skilled mercenary hacker who has key information that could lead them to Santa and his kidnapper. At the time of writing, Red One has received negative reviews, and in of box office, it has to reach a high number to be a success.

Red One's Budget Is Reportedly $250 Million

Red One’s Budget Ended Up Going Higher

The story of Red One was conceived by producer Hiram Garcia, with the screenplay written by Chris Morgan. Filming began in October 2022 and ended in February 2023, with a budget of $200 million. However, recent reports about the production of Red One have revealed that there were on-set issues with Johnson that ended up increasing the movie’s budget. The report, shared by The Wrap, claims Johnson was, on average, seven to eight hours late to set every day, and there were days when he didn’t show up at all.

This is reportedly due to Johnson’s refusal to work more than five hours a day, and it isn’t an issue exclusive to Red One. In addition to that, the alleged ineptitude of Garcia as a producer also contributed to Red One’s budget going higher. Johnson’s tardiness resulted in an extra $50 million being added to Red One’s budget, elevating it to $250 million. Not only are those reports a bad look for Johnson and Red One, but they also make its box office performance a bigger challenge, as it has to reach a higher number to break even.

Red One Needs To Make At Least $500 Million To Be A Box Office Success

Red One Needs To Go A Lot Higher In Of Box Office

With Red One’s budget now around $250 million, it means that it needs to make, at least, $500 million at the box office to break even and be a success – the problem is that it’s not doing well with critics. At the time of writing, Red One has a 32% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics finding that it lacks “holiday magic”, that it has an uneven plot and tone, and that the emotional parts of the story feel forced. However, Red One could gain some popularity with general audiences once it comes out, allowing it to reach the $500 million mark.

More often than not, movies that didn’t perform well in theaters end up becoming a success on streaming.

Of course, this is only about box office performance and success, as Red One could end up finding its audience later on. More often than not, movies that didn’t perform well in theaters end up becoming a success on streaming months later. Red One could have that same fate, but even if it becomes a streaming hit in a couple of months (or weeks, depending on its box office performance), that won’t change its box office numbers.