Amazon MGM Teases Dwayne Johnson-Chris Evans Holiday Pic ‘Red One,’ Expands Theatrical Slate
Theater owners have been treated to their first glimpse of Amazon MGM Studios’ year-end holiday romp Red One, starring Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans. While the studio didn’t give an official presentation at CinemaCon this week, it used the annual convention to show off 10 minutes of the comedy inside a spacious suite at Caesars Palace.
Those who saw the footage were asked to keep plot details under tight wraps, although its known that J.K. Simmons plays Santa and Bonnie Hunt plays Mrs. Claus.
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Red One, from Dwayne Johnson and his Seven Bucks Productions, is set to hit theaters worldwide Nov. 15, 2024, in order to take full advantage of the long year-end holiday corridor (several cinema operators told The Hollywood Reporter the footage looks promising). The holiday action comedy is based on an original story from Hiram Garcia, president of production at Seven Bucks Productions. Jake Kasdan directed from a script by Chris Morgan.
Red One wasn’t the only news Amazon MGM Studios made when attending CinemaCon for the first time as a blended outfit. The company announced Wednesday morning that it is adding four of its original movies to its theatrical calendar — RaMell Ross’ The Nickel Boys (2024), starring Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor; Bart Layton’s Crime 101 (2025); Luca Guadagnino’s After the Hunt (2025), starring Julia Roberts; and Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s Project Hail Mary (2026), starring Ryan Gosling.
The titles Amazon MGM titles already slated for a traditional release were Guadagnino’s Zendaya starrer Challengers (April 26, 2024), Megan Park’s My Old Ass (Aug. 2, 2024), The Fire Inside (Aug. 29, 2024), Blink Twice (Aug. 24, 2024), Levon’s Trade (Jan. 17, 2025) and Mercy (Aug. 15, 2025).
“From global, action films like The Beekeeper, to accessible, auteur-driven commercial fare like Challengers, to world-creating movies like Red One, our goal at Amazon MGM is to make movies that are big, broad stories defined by movie stars and a specific directorial vision that create cultural conversation and demand to be seen in the theater,” Amazon MGM head of film Courtenay Valenti said in a statement.
Added Amazon Studios theatrical distribution head Kevin Wilson, “In our dynamic and always-evolving industry, we’re proud to be a part of preserving the theatrical experience and bringing people back to theaters. We are working to strategically craft our slate to include more theatrical releases than ever before, and we are just getting started. In our first year at CinemaCon under one umbrella as Amazon MGM Studios, we’re thrilled to unveil a glimpse of some of our theatrical titles that audiences can look forward to.”
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