Like the perfect Christmas cookie, Amazon MGM Studios’ festive new flick Red One has all the right ingredients. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Chris Evans star in this funny and action-packed comedy, which is full of warm and fuzzy moments for the whole family.
The whirlwind adventure begins when a group of bad guys breach Santa’s legendary North Pole outpost and kidnap him. Johnson plays Callum Drift, the commander of E.L.F. (Enforcement, Logistics, and Fortification) and head of security for “Red One,” which is Santa’s code name. Callum and Jack O’Malley (Evans), the world’s best tracker and the man who unwittingly reveals Santa’s secret location, crisscross the globe to rescue Jolly Old Saint Nick and bring him home in time for his Christmas Eve gift-giving run.
Red One is now playing in theaters. Read on to learn more about this film, which is destined to become a holiday favorite.
Who else stars in ‘Red One’?
In addition to Johnson and Evans, Red One stars Lucy Liu as Zoe Harlow. She’s the no-nonsense head of the Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority, aka M.O.R.A., which monitors every magical creature, from the Easter Bunny to Bigfoot.
Oscar-winning actor J.K. Simmons plays a ripped and youthful Santa Claus, and Bonnie Hunt costars as his helpful and thoughtful wife, Mrs. Claus. The villains include Kristofer Hivju (Game of Thrones) as Krampus, Kiernan Shipka (Twisters) as Icelandic Christmas witch Gryla, and a trio of sinister snowmen.
Jake Kasdan, who directed Johnson in both Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Jumanji: The Next Level, is the filmmaker behind Red One, which was written by Chris Morgan, based on an idea from Hiram Garcia.
What made Johnson and Evans want to pair up for a Christmas movie?
Johnson, who started his career with World Wrestling Entertainment, is best known for action movies such as Black Adam and the Fast & Furious franchise. But he has always loved Christmas classics and the feelings they evoke.
“The classics like Miracle on 34th Street and It’s a Wonderful Life, as well as contemporary favorites like Elf and Bad Santa—we all love them for the same reason,” Johnson explained. “They bring us back to that warm feeling of being with friends and family, the time of year when life slowsdown for a minute. And there’s nothing better than watching a great Christmas movie with the people youlove.”
Evans, known for his portrayal as Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, reveled in the idea of playing an anti-Christmas curmudgeon who has a change of heart.
“It’s always fun to play a rascal,” Evans proclaimed. “But in Jack’s personal life, he’s struggling. He has a son that he neglects. Aside from his family struggles, he’s lost that Christmas spirit. He works by himself and moves through the world by himself. That loneliness has made him a bit ossified.”
Morgan, who wrote the Red One screenplay, said audiences will love Johnson and Evans as polar opposites who eventually become friends.
“They’re a classic odd couple,” Morgan said. “Chris was always the guy we had in mind for Jack. He’s funny and rough-and-tumble. He’s especially great at playing characters who should be deplorable, but you end up loving them a little bit. When we put Dwayne and Chris together for the first time, that energy was immediate. They sparked off each other. They just started riffing and cutting on each other, one-upping, and generally having fun at each other’s expense. We knew we had a special dynamic right there.”
Evans added that the on-screen chemistry he shares with Johnson was easy to create.
“He’s an incredibly giving actor, just so funny and charismatic,” Evans said. “He understands what it takes to anchor a film like this. And he’s a perfect fit for Cal, because he is full of love and warmth. Seeing Cal losing that feeling creates a real desire from the audience for him to get that light back.”
Who are Krampus and Gryla?
Krampus is a massive, goatlike figure who has terrorized children throughout Germany, Austria, and other Alpine regions of Europe. “He’s the flip side of Christmas, someone who is about punishing the naughty,” Garcia explained. “It’s a character we wanted to turn on its head and make more of an antihero.”
The film’s apex villain is Gryla, the legendary Christmas witch from Iceland who, like Krampus, mercilessly punishes children. In her natural form, Gryla is an immense, ugly, and powerful ogress, with multiple tails and a dozen enormous sons called the Yule Lads. In Red One, she is also a shape-shifter, who transforms herself into a beautiful young woman, played by Shipka.
When does ‘Red One’ premiere?
Red One is now playing in theaters.
