On November 5, the year-end action fantasy comedy from Warner Bros., "Red One," had its premiere in Beijing. The premiere event was meticulously designed to evoke an enchanting winter wonderland, with Christmas trees and gifts adorning the scene, capturing the film's vibrant holiday spirit. The movie will be released in theaters nationwide on November 8, a week ahead of its North American debut.
Poster for "Red One"
“The bells are ringing, and the children are singing, everything is joyful and bright. Hang up your stockings in the joy of Christmas because Santa Claus is coming tonight...” Accompanied by the cheerful tune of “Here Comes Santa Claus,” the film begins with an unbelievable event like never before:
Santa Claus Nick (played by J.K. Simmons) finds his famous Arctic outpost under siege, and he himself is kidnapped. Callum Drift (played by Dwayne Johnson), the commander of the E.L.F. team and the security chief known as "Red One" (Santa's code name), teams up with Jack O'Malley (played by Chris Evans), the world’s best finder who inadvertently leaked Santa’s secret location. This mismatched duo quickly embarks on a journey around the globe, vowing to rescue Santa in time to fulfill his legendary annual journey.
Still from "Red One"
“We Love All Christmas Movies”
“I've always dreamed of making a super cool Christmas movie,” said producer Hiram Garcia, president of the production division of Seven Bucks Productions, co-founded by Danny Garcia and Dwayne Johnson. “It sounds a bit crazy, but if you’re going to make a Christmas movie, it has to be grand, bold, and include elements of Christmas that have never been seen on the big screen. We want to create a film that describes holiday traditions in a relatable way while incorporating epic action scenes.”
“We love all Christmas movies,” said Johnson. “Whether it's classics like 'Miracle on 34th Street' and 'It's a Wonderful Life' or modern hits like 'Elf' and 'Bad Santa.' We love these movies because they give us that warm feeling of being together with friends and family, bringing us back to those moments in the year when life slows down just a bit. There’s nothing better than watching a great Christmas movie with the people you love.”
Still from "Red One"
Director Jake Kasdan, who previously collaborated with Johnson on global hits "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" and "Jumanji: The Next Level," shared, “This movie feels like the perfect next chapter in our partnership. Jake is a brilliant filmmaker who knows how to tell fun and heartfelt stories within a grand fantasy action film. We've done this before, so we know he is the ideal choice for director.”
“Sometimes you come across an idea that resonates with you immediately, and that’s how I felt about this story,” Kasdan elaborated. “Having Dwayne Johnson play the head of security for Santa and commander of the E.L.F. team… this story gives us a glimpse into what Santa's Arctic base is like and how it operates, presented in a very real and down-to-earth way that we’ve never seen before. I fell in love with it instantly.”
Still from "Red One"
Producer Danny Garcia added that when people think of Santa's elves, they often picture a cute little helper running around making toys. “Callum, on the other hand, is completely different—he’s a towering figure at 6.5 feet (about 1.98 meters) tall and weighing 260 pounds (around 117.9 kg), but he has a warm heart, is lovable, and is reliable. Dwayne Johnson embodies that spirit. In real life, Johnson loves kids, loves Christmas, and is genuinely kind-hearted, wanting to make the world a better place. We infused these characteristics into his character, subverting expectations while allowing him to continue showcasing that tough-guy persona fans love.”
Kasdan described Callum as not only the muscle of Santa's security team but also a long-time right-hand man to Nick. “Callum is Nick's trusted assistant, and they share a deep, almost familial bond. No one is quite like Dwayne; he is truly a one-of-a-kind actor. Honestly, I’m not sure we've had an action star like him before. In one moment, he can be the toughest person you’ve ever seen, and the next moment he can be sincere, nuanced, and humorous.”
“Everything in the Movie is Huge”
Chris Evans, known for playing Captain America, portrays Jack, the adventurous partner of Callum and a mortal on Santa's naughty list. Evans described his character as a bit of a rogue, saying, “Playing a rogue is always fun! But in his personal life, he struggles. He has a neglected son. Beyond family issues, he no longer believes in the spirit of Christmas. He tends to operate alone, leading a somewhat solitary life. This loneliness has made him somewhat hardened.”
Johnson mentioned that he has long wanted to collaborate with Evans, and this experience did not disappoint him. “I’ve admired his career trajectory for years. We were really fortunate that we developed a great chemistry both on and off the set. And this is our first Christmas movie together, so it's a checkbox off the wish list.”
Still from "Red One"
In the film, this duo confronts the most dangerous 'Christmas villains' consisting of Krampus (played by Christopher Heivieu), Gremlins (played by Kiernan Shipka), and an evil snowman. Chris Morgan, who has a history of writing for seven installments of the “Fast & Furious” franchise, mentioned that he and his team delved deeply into Christmas traditions from around the world, “Some are joyful and bright, while others are much darker. Among the latter, perhaps the most famous is Krampus.” Krampus is a gigantic, goat-like monster that has frightened children in Germany, Austria, and other regions of the European Alps for centuries, much like Santa Claus brings them joy. “He represents the darker side of Christmas, a character who specifically punishes naughty children.”
It’s noteworthy that the film's visual effects depict the Arctic base as not a desolate frozen wasteland or a quaint European village. Art director Bill Brutzki and his team envisioned a modern metropolis hidden under an impenetrable dome, which houses a stunning city made of ice illuminated by the aurora. Brutzki explained, “The set for the Arctic base was one of the largest parts of our work. We've built a complete mythological world, tracing back centuries of history and drawing inspiration from various places to explore the meaning of Christmas.”
Still from "Red One"
Brutzki mentioned, “We retained many classic elements like the red and green color scheme and Christmas trees. But our overall goal was to create a believable environment.” As for how to depict Santa delivering toys to households overnight, special effects supervisor J.D. Schwab revealed that Santa's sleigh is 40 feet long (about 12 meters) and 20 feet wide (about 6 meters), “We basically built a spaceship for Nick to cruise around in.”
The sleigh is assembled from five parts, transportable via flatbed trucks to different filming locations, where it can be reassembled. “It has two methods of hovering,” Schwab explained. “We have a large six-axis motion platform similar to a pilot's flight simulator. We place the entire sleigh on top of it, allowing the sleigh to rise and lower six feet (about 1.8 meters) and tilt 45 degrees in any direction. For ground shots, we let the sleigh float on what we call the ‘air gimbal,’ a rubber pad that makes the entire sleigh hover like a hovercraft, floating on a layer of air.”
“Everything in the movie is enormous; the reindeer are like elephants. The sleigh is as large as a small plane,” director Kasdan concluded. “We love to tell stories about love, family, and redemption. What makes this movie special is not only its scale, fun, and big action scenes, but also that we’ll take you on a wild and fantastical adventure. We may give you a little fright, but we hope to make you laugh. Most importantly, we hope it will truly touch your heart in the end.”
