Chris Evans & J.K. Simmons’ ‘Red One’ Streaming Success Continues on Prime Video

by

In 2024, Amazon’s Prime Video rolled the dice with their Christmas film titled “Red One,” reportedly investing a staggering $250 million into this yuletide action-thriller. Starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Callum Drift, a security chief at the North Pole, and J.K. Simmons as Santa Claus who is abducted just before Christmas, the movie requires Drift to find help from Chris Evans’ character, Jack O’Malley, an elite hacker and a “Level 4 Naughty Lister.” Despite bombing in theaters with earnings of barely $100 million globally, “Red One” has managed to keep audiences hooked on streaming platforms.

At present, around two weeks post-Christmas, Red One remains at the third position on Prime Video’s list of the week’s most watched movies. Despite having received unfavorable critical reviews (with a 30% rating on Rotten Tomatoes), it has managed to captivate numerous viewers, who have given it a high audience rating of 90% on that platform. In their review, MovieWeb’s Julian Roman rated the film 3 out of 5 and praised its unique twist on Christmas folklore: “Red One offers an unexpectedly smart perspective on Christmas mythology,” they wrote. “The large-scale action-comedy delivers the expected popcorn fun with visual flair, while also creating a fresh universe filled with truly distinctive characters.

Against all odds, Red One has become a significant streaming hit for Amazon Prime Video. Not only did it extend its stay beyond the holiday season, but it also shattered a significant streaming record for Prime. With over 50 million viewers in its initial four days on the platform, Red One set a new opening record for Amazon MGM Studios on Prime Video.

Will ‘Red One’ Get a Sequel?

Movies nowadays can’t simply exist as isolated events, and “Red One” aimed to carry on this development. Although it has a self-contained narrative about a perilous mission to save Santa from the wicked witch Gryla (Kiernan Shipka), “Red One” also attempted to establish a new cinematic universe. During Jack’s interrogation at the North Pole, he encounters various folkloric characters tied to popular holidays, such as a living Jack-o’-lantern and the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow, hinting at a broader tapestry of tales. Although it doesn’t explicitly suggest a sequel, the conclusion of “Red One” leaves enough room for Callum and Jack to embark on another buddy-cop escapade.

At this moment, it’s not yet confirmed by Amazon MGM Studio if we’ll see a sequel to Red One 2 (or Red Two). There’s some uncertainty about its continuation due to mixed reactions from critics and disappointing box office earnings compared to its budget. Despite its popularity among viewers on streaming platforms, the film seems to have faced negative consequences because of these factors.

Read More

2025-01-09 17:31