At first glance, Christmas movies and the action genre might seem worlds apart, but recent Hollywood blockbusters prove there are no limits when combining them. Without diving into the ongoing debate about whether Die Hard belongs to the genre of holiday films, recent releases like Silent Night (2022), starring David Harbour, have shown how Santa Claus can also dish out justice to villains. But Universal’s festive action film pales in comparison to Amazon MGM Studios’ Red One, a bold new venture where stars Chris Evans and Dwayne Johnson set out to save Christmas by rescuing Santa Claus himself, played by J.K. Simmons. Just a few days ago, fresh promotional material for this commercial adventure was unveiled.
Directed by Jake Kasdan, Red One reunites the director with Dwayne Johnson, following their success with the two installments of the Jumanji reboot (Welcome to the Jungle and The Next Level). Those films skillfully combined humor, heart, and thrilling adventure—elements echoed in the latest trailer for Red One. Alongside Johnson, the film boasts a star-studded cast including Chris Evans, J.K. Simmons, Lucy Liu (Kill Bill), Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men), Bonnie Hunt (Rain Man), Mary Elizabeth Ellis (Licorice Pizza), Nick Kroll (Don’t Worry Darling), and Kristofer Hivju (Game of Thrones).
Scripted by Chris Morgan, Red One is based on an original idea by Hiram Garcia, executive producer of Johnson’s production company, Seven Bucks. Garcia, who has spoken about the ambitious vision for Red One, facilitated the acquisition of the rights with high hopes for the project’s success. “We took the film everywhere and thankfully all of our studio partners came on board. I was very flattered to see everyone bidding on it, but ultimately Amazon stepped up and really understood our ambition and the story we were trying to tell.”
The synopsis for Red One puts us in the shoes of Callum Drift, the head of security at the North Pole, who after seeing Santa Claus kidnapped is forced to collaborate with an outsider to help him. This is Jack O’Malley (Evans), one of the most infamous bounties in the world who, to top it off, happens to be on the man in red’s “bad guys” list.
The trailer offers a glimpse into the kind of family-friendly magic Amazon plans to deliver with Red One. Viewers can expect enchanting moments like toy stores with portals to the North Pole, iconic Hot Wheels, and classic Rock ‘Em Sock ’Em robots, now portrayed as giant wrestlers turned powerful bodyguards. O’Malley seems to be fully immersed in this whimsical world, while the dynamic between the two leads follows the classic buddy-movie formula. Initially at odds, Callum and Evans’ characters gradually form a bond of friendship, fueled by teamwork and courage.
CREDITS:
Director: Alejandro Bernal
Text: Max Hackenbroich
