It’s an unforgettable December for Prime Video. According to the streamer, Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans’ Christmas movie “Red One” attracted a record 50 million viewers worldwide in its opening weekend on Prime Video (measured over four days), becoming Amazon Studios’ most-watched debut film MGM at all. On the streaming platform.
It’s a true Christmas miracle for the film, which boasted a Santa-sized budget of $250 million and opened to just $32 million in the US last month. Kevin Wilson, head of theatrical distribution at Amazon MGM, alluded to the studio’s justification for spending big money without needing a lot of ticket sales in return, saying: diverse In November, “Whether people like it or not, the value of these films varies relative to our business model. … If we can show these films in theaters and cover the printing and advertising costs, why wouldn’t we? We’re getting a huge marketing campaign going on.” Pay for it before the movie starts streaming.
Although critics like diverseThe film was largely panned by Owen Gleiberman, averaging a 33% “rotten” on Rotten Tomatoes, and the film fared better with audiences, receiving an A grade from the CinemaScore moviegoer poll.
“Red One,” which continues to hit the big screen globally on more than 3,000 screens in North America and 3,300 internationally, also stars Lucy Liu, Kiernan Shipka, Bonnie Hunt, Kristoffer Hivju, Nick Kroll, Wesley Kimmel, J. K. Simmons. Jake Kasdan directed the film from a screenplay by Chris Morgan. Producers are Hiram Garcia of Seven Bucks Productions, Johnson, Danny Garcia, and Morgan of Chris Morgan Productions, and Kasdan and Melvin Marr of Detective Agency.
This PG-13 holiday comedy follows Callum Drift, head of North Pole security, as he reluctantly teams up with Jack O’Malley, Chris Evans’ scoundrel hacker, to find a kidnapped Santa Claus in time for Christmas.
“Given the audience response to Red One in theaters and on Prime Video, it is clear that the film will be a holiday favorite for years to come,” Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon MGM Studios, said at the film’s debut. “Every film is different, and we are so grateful to partner with our filmmakers in collectively finding the right strategy to get this film in front of the widest audience possible. With Red One, there was no question that the strategy needed to include a theatrical release and associated marketing campaign “It’s rewarding to see our plan come to fruition for customers, and we’re extremely grateful to the entire filmmaking team and actors who helped make it happen.”
Prime Video ranked Jake Gyllenhaal’s “Road House” as its most-watched No. 1 title earlier this year, also citing 50 million viewers, although that number was recorded over two weekends compared to the four-day period for “Red “One”.