Amazon/MGM’s Red One claimed the top spot at the box office this weekend, debuting with $34.1 million across 4,032 theaters in North America. Despite its strong opening, the overall weekend box office grossed just $73.6 million, a sharp decline from last year’s $115.5 million for the same weekend, which was bolstered by the premieres of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes ($44.6M) and Trolls Band Together ($31.2M).
The holiday box office is set to receive a significant boost with the upcoming releases of Wicked (Universal) and Gladiator II (Paramount) next Friday. Both films are expected to reignite ticket sales with a one-two punch reminiscent of last summer’s Barbie and Oppenheimer double feature, which generated $311 million in its opening weekend.
Five days later, Disney’s Moana 2 will join the fray, with analysts predicting it could emerge as the highest-grossing film of the three. This two-week holiday surge is anticipated to significantly narrow the year-to-date box office deficit.
Amazon‘s Big Bet
Red One marks Amazon’s attempt to establish a new Christmas franchise, with a reported production budget of $250 million. Directed by Jake Kasdan (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Jumanji: The Next Level), the film pairs Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans in an action-packed holiday adventure. Johnson stars as Callum Drift, the head of North Pole security, while Evans plays Jack O’Malley, a rogue computer hacker. Together, they must rescue Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons) after his abduction by a malevolent team on Christmas Eve.
Despite its star-studded cast—which also includes Lucy Liu and Academy Award-winner J.K. Simmons—and a screenplay by Fast & Furious veteran Chris Morgan, the film has received mixed reviews. Critics gave it a lukewarm 33% score on Rotten Tomatoes, citing a chaotic narrative and tonal inconsistencies, while audiences were far more favorable with an 89% approval rating.
Box office analysts note that Red One is unlikely to recoup its budget through ticket sales alone, with Amazon banking on its upcoming streaming release on Prime Video in mid-December to recover costs.
Timing Challenges
The release strategy for Red One has raised eyebrows. Opening just 10 days before Wicked and Gladiator II, the film faces intense competition, limiting its runway to capitalize on the holiday movie season. Some industry insiders question why Amazon didn’t opt for an earlier release date to avoid direct competition with blockbuster titles.
Other Weekend Performances
Sony and Marvel’s Venom: The Last Dance slipped to second place, earning $7.4 million in its fourth weekend—a 54% decline. The latest installment in the Venom series has amassed $127.6 million domestically, trailing behind its predecessors, Venom (2018) and Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021), at the same stage in their respective runs.
Lionsgate’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever landed in third place with $5.4 million, bringing its 10-day domestic total to $20 million. Made on a modest $10 million budget, the film is expected to be a profitable entry in the holiday genre, with the potential for sequels in future years.
A24’s horror film Heretic secured fourth place with $5.2 million, bringing its domestic total to $20.4 million after 10 days. The film is already on track to become a profitable project for the indie distributor, benefiting from strong audience scores (77%) and critical acclaim (92%).
Rounding out the top five was Universal’s animated feature The Wild Robot, which added $4.3 million in its seventh weekend. With a domestic gross of $137.8 million and $302.9 million worldwide, the family-friendly film has been a steady performer, taking advantage of a lack of direct competition in its genre.
Looking Ahead
The box office is poised for a massive turnaround as the holiday season kicks into gear. The combination of Wicked, Gladiator II, and Moana 2 promises to deliver a windfall for theaters, rivaling last year’s Thanksgiving surge. While Red One faces an uphill battle to carve out its place among these heavyweights, its success in establishing a new holiday franchise may ultimately hinge on its performance in the streaming market.
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