With the exception ofa cameo in the mid-credits ofFast X,Dwayne Johnsonhasn’t been seen in a movie since thedisappointingBlack Adam. He is set to be heard in the November release ofMoana 2, which will coincide with his return to appearing on screens inRed One— but that was not originally the plan.Red One, a Christmas movie, was initially meant to debut exclusively onAmazon at the end of 2023. An announcement was made last year thatthe filmwould instead be coming to theaters in November 2024, citing delays due to the2023 WGA/SAG-Aftra strikes. But there seems to be more going on. Recent reporting has suggested there might be something, or someone, holding the film back increasing its budget, putting the film between a hard place and a… rock.
After Santa Claus is kidnapped, the North Pole’s Head of Security and a notorious bounty hunter embark on a globe-spanning mission to rescue him. This action-packed adventure unfolds as they navigate various challenges to safeguard Christmas, emphasizing teamwork and determination against a backdrop of festive intrigue.
What Is ‘Red One’ About?
Red Oneis a Christmas action moviecentered on Dwayne Johnson teaming up withChris Evanson a mission to rescue a kidnapped Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons.) Johnson will also be reuniting withJake Kasdan, who directed him inJumanji: Welcome to the JungleandJumanji: The Next Level. Johnson also enlistedChris Morganto pen the script, having worked with him onFast Five,Fast Six,Furious Seven, andHobbs & Shaw. With it being produced by Johnson’s Seven Buck Productions, it seemingly has all the right ingredients for a fun action movie. There’s just one issue:Johnson reportedly hasn’t been showing up.
The Rock Reportedly Has Been Showing Up Late to the Set of ‘Red One’
In a recent article published byThe Wrap, writer Umberto Gonzalez went into extensive detail about the production ofRed Oneand how it is suffering at the hands of Johnson’s behavior.Gonzalez quotes inside sources close to the production who claim “Johnson was late an average of seven to eight hours per day"and not showing up at all some days, forcing scenes to be shot around him. Although some close to Seven Bucks have said this has been exaggerated, Gonzalez mentioned that Johnson’s involvement with the sitcomYoung Rock, working with the XFL minor football league, and promotingBlack Adamdelayed the start of the film’s production entirely. Though Amazon has denied it,Johnson’s actions have reportedly caused the budget of the film to swell to an additional $50 million (totaling $250 million.)But Johnson is only enabled by those around him.
Part of the reasonRed Oneis in more noticeable hot water than other Dwayne Johnson productions, Gonzalez notes, is the people surrounding Johnson and the production. Executives at Amazon MGM,Julie RapaportandGlenn Gainor, former executives at The Weinstein Company and Sony Pictures respectively, are accused of inexperience in handling such major productions by one of Gonzalez’s sources. The Source, a “veteran production insider” who worked on the movie saidthe executives came from much smaller movies at one-tenth ofRed One’s $200 million budgetand brushed off problems that arose, confident they could handle it. Alongside them is the film’s producer,Hiram Garcia.
Chris Hemsworth Is Prepared to Kick Dwayne Johnson’s Ass to Hold Onto the Title of Best Action Hero
A lie detector test uncovered some shocking truths about the MCU actor.
Garcia conceived the idea forRed One, but before that, he had been working as Johnson’s assistant since2002’sThe Scorpion King. After over a decade as an assistant, Garcia was given control of Seven Bucks Production. Despite this, Gonzalez’s sources tell stories ofGarcia mostly only being adept at handling Johnson’s projects, and that he is not as skilled at actually producing movies. One source said, “[Garcia] should have picked up on how to keep track of a schedule and budget, but I haven’t seen him take any interest in doing that.” Garcia acting as producer onRed Oneclearly has been more of a means to keep Johnson happy. But the writing has been on the wall for years beforeRed One.
Dwayne Johnson Has a History of Odd On-Set Behaviour
A mogul dedicated to his daily three-hour workouts, Johnson has made a habit of being late. The Wrap article details keeping the large crews of his HBO showBallersand2018’sRampagewaiting as he was regularly four to five hours late. Gonzalez reports that Johnson’s lack of prioritizing the film’s production has caused problems with high-profile co-stars likeVin DieselandRyan Reynolds(on theFast & Furiousfranchise andRed Noticerespectively.)He also did not play well with others during his involvement in the DC Universe, with Gonzalez reporting that Johnson and Garcia attempted a coup on DC from former headWalter HamadabeforeJames GunnandPeter Safranwere involved. This adds insult to injury withJohnson’s refusal to take part in a cameo inShazam! Fury of the Gods.
Johnson also seems to lack professionalism at every stage of production. The Wrap article reports that crew hired for productions likeRed Noticewould often be used to shoot promotional shoots for Johnson’s XFL league and liquor brand Teremana. During the production ofRed Notice,Johnson allegedly ignored the strenuous COVID protocolsin place to take his private jet home and host gatherings for family and friends (resulting in his exposure to the virus.) Johnson was even accused by a former production assistant of refusing to leave set for bathroom breaks, andinstead peeing in empty Voss water bottles and handing them to PAsto dispose of them. While sources close to Johnson have denied these claims,Johnson did mention this as a habit during his workouts in the past.
What Does This Mean for Dwayne Johnson’s Career?
Movie stars are famously known for massive egos and erratic behavior that can impact the final film itself.But rarely do they simply not show up at all.While he does regularly appear in movies, they are mostly catered to him. He works with the same directors, Brad Peyton and Rawson Marshal Thurber in addition to Kasdan, to make movies with characters indistinguishable from one another. Despite being a movie star, he feels the need to have an HBO, then host a reality competition show (The Titan Games), and then create a sitcom all about his younger self. He has a football league, a tequila, a liquor brand, and an energy drink he promotes all while squeezing in a three-hour daily workout?! AsPatrick Willemssurmised in his excellent video essay, Johnson seems more preoccupied withbecoming a brand than making movies.
But maybe that’s changing. Last summer Johnsonmade an insanely generous donationto theSAG-AFTRA relief fund supporting those on strike. In the past few months, heconfirmed his return toMoana 2, and he will also be reprising his Maui role inthe live-actionMoanaremake. The remake will put him under the direction ofHamiltondirectorThomas Kail,which is a welcome change. He is also teaming up withBenny Safdie, co-director ofUncut Gems,to make an A24-produced biopic of UFC wrestlerMark Kerr. On announcing the role, Johnson said “I’m at a point in my career where I want to push myself in ways that I’ve not pushed myself in the past. I’m at a point in my career where I want to make films that matter, that explore humanity and explore struggle [and] pain.” Hopefully, Johnson is true to his word and shows up for set on time for Safdie’sThe Smashing Machinewhen it starts shooting later this year.
Red Onewill (hopefully) be released in theaters on November 15th, 2024. Black Adam is currently streaming on Max in the U.S.
