Warner Bros. is kicking off the holiday season early with the international release of Red One, Amazon MGM Studios’ $200 million Christmas action-comedy starring Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans. The film officially launches today in major international markets including the UK, South Korea, and Spain, with a total of 75 international markets expected to join in by Friday. This rollout comes just a week ahead of its domestic debut on November 15, as the holiday film calendar begins to fill up.
Red One, produced by Seven Bucks Productions, is projecting an opening weekend of $25 million to $30 million internationally. For comparison, Johnson’s previous family-friendly hit Jungle Cruise earned $26 million in similar international markets upon release in 2021. Key regions driving the film’s international performance include English-speaking countries, Latin America, and Western Europe. While the film is also set to open in China on Friday, expectations for a strong performance there are modest. Early presale figures suggest the movie will likely secure a second-place finish on its opening day, but the market may not deliver significant returns overall.
In South Korea, Red One has already debuted, landing in fourth place with $63,000 in box office receipts, including previews. The film’s international success faces potential hurdles in Asia, given the competition from other films and differing audience tastes. Notably, Amazon MGM originally planned for Red One to be a streaming release, but after strong test screenings, the decision was made to take it to theaters instead. Warner Bros. is handling the overseas distribution through its deal with Amazon MGM. However, due to France’s complex theatrical window system, the film won’t be released in French cinemas, nor will it screen in Turkey, where a five-month delay between theatrical and streaming releases applies.
Domestically, Red One is eyeing a $36 million opening in the U.S. and Canada, based on early tracking. With the film’s primary audience expected to be teen boys, followed by older males and females, there’s potential for upside, particularly if word of mouth helps boost its performance. Early reviews are mixed, with the film currently holding a 40% score on Rotten Tomatoes, but if positive buzz builds, Red One could carve out a successful run during the crowded holiday season, which includes major female-skewing titles like Moana 2 and Wicked.
As part of its international rollout, Red One is also showcasing in IMAX and Premium Large Formats (PLFs) in select markets, with these screens set to transition to Gladiator next week. However, it’s likely that Sony’s Venom: The Last Dance will continue to dominate the international box office this weekend, entering its third frame.
Ahead of the film’s release, the Red One team, including Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, JK Simmons, Lucy Liu, Kiernan Shipka, Bonnie Hunt, and director Jake Kasdan, made a splash at the world premiere in Berlin on Sunday. The cast then traveled to the UK for a photocall and a series of promotional events, keeping the momentum going as the global release continues.
