The holiday season is off to a thrilling start at the box office as Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans light up screens with their festive action-comedy Red One, while Ridley Scott’s epic sequel Gladiator II smashes records overseas.
‘Red One’ Triumphs in North America
The holiday action-comedy Red One, starring Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans, surpassed expectations by earning $34.1 million in its domestic debut. Initially projected to struggle to hit $30 million, the film picked up momentum over the weekend.
Internationally, Red One brought in $14.7 million from 75 markets during its second weekend, pushing its foreign total to $50 million and a global tally of $84.1 million. The early international release aimed to avoid clashing with Gladiator II, which debuted abroad this weekend ahead of its U.S. release on November 22.
Ridley Scott’s highly anticipated sequel, Gladiator II, dominated overseas with an impressive $87 million from 63 markets. This marks Paramount’s largest international opening for an R-rated film and Scott’s biggest overseas launch ever.
In North America, Amazon MGM Studios anticipated Red One to perform stronger on Saturday and Sunday than on its opening Friday. The Friday release coincided with a highly anticipated Netflix boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul, which likely diverted audience attention. Notably, 54% of opening-day ticket buyers were male.
By Saturday, the film was tracking for a $30 million weekend, but strong audience turnout elevated its total. Currently showing in 4,032 theaters—including Imax, Dolby Cinema, and other premium formats—Red One earned an A- CinemaScore, signaling positive reception despite mixed critical reviews.
Production and Distribution Strategy
Initially planned for Prime Video, Amazon opted for a theatrical release to boost visibility and drive long-term streaming engagement. Produced on a hefty $250 million budget, the film’s box office performance will be closely monitored. However, Amazon prioritizes subscriber growth over traditional box office revenue.
Internationally, Warner Bros. Pictures managed distribution, opening with $28 million to strategically avoid direct competition with Gladiator II.
Red One offers a unique twist on holiday storytelling. The film follows a high-stakes mission to rescue Santa Claus—code-named “Red One”—after his abduction. Johnson stars as the North Pole’s head of security, teaming up with Evans, a notorious bounty hunter, to save Christmas.
The cast includes Lucy Liu, Kiernan Shipka, Bonnie Hunt, Kristofer Hivju, Nick Kroll, Wesley Kimmel, and JK Simmons. Directed by Jake Kasdan, with a screenplay by Chris Morgan and story by Hiram Garcia, the film is rated PG-13.
Red One kicks off the holiday season as the first Christmas-themed theatrical release since 2018’s The Grinch. It leads a lineup of year-end blockbusters, including Universal’s Wicked and Paramount’s Gladiator II, both set to premiere on November 22, followed by Disney’s Moana 2 on November 27.
The crowded release schedule has been humorously dubbed “Moanapocalypse” and “Glicked,” referencing the intense box office battle ahead.
