LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� Moviegoers were not exactly feeling the Christmas spirit this weekend, or at least what was offering. The big budget, star-driven action comedy with Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans sold $34.1 million in tickets in its first weekend in theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday. It easily topped a box office populated mostly by holdovers.
For traditional studios, a $34.1 million debut against a $200 million+ production budget would be a clear indication of a flop. Some even peg the budget closer to $250 million. But 鈥淩ed One鈥� is an Amazon MGM Studios release and they have the luxury of playing the long game, accounting not only for global box office where Johnson tentpoles often overperform, but its life on Prime Video for years to come.
鈥淩ed One,鈥� in which Johnson plays Santa鈥檚 bodyguard, was also originally built to go straight-to-streaming. There鈥檚 a narrative that the theatrical earnings are not only just a bonus, but that it鈥檚 an additive gesture towards struggling theaters looking for a consistent stream of new films. The first major studio holiday release since 2018, 鈥淩ed One鈥� opened on 4,032 screens, including IMAX and other large formats, on an otherwise quiet weekend for major releases.
Warner Bros. is handling the overseas release, where it has made an estimated $50 million in two weekends from 75 territories and 14,783 screens.
Still, it鈥檚 certainly not a theatrical hit in North America. Even made slightly more in its first weekend. 鈥淩ed One,鈥� directed by Jake Kasdan and produced by Johnson鈥檚 Seven Bucks, was roundly rejected by critics, with a dismal 33% Rotten Tomatoes score. Jake Coyle, in his review for The Associated Press, wrote that it 鈥渇eels like an unwanted high-priced Christmas present.鈥� But audiences were kinder to 鈥淩ed One鈥� then they were to 鈥淛oker 2,鈥� giving it an A- CinemaScore, suggesting, perhaps, that the idea of it being a perennial holiday favorite is not so off-base.
Sony's added $7.4 million this weekend to take second place, bringing its domestic total to $127.6 million. Globally, its total stands at $436.1 million.
Lionsgate's 鈥淭he Best Christmas Pageant Ever鈥� landed in third with $5.4 million. That much more modestly budgeted Christmas movie has already nearly doubled its $10 million production budget in two weeks. Fourth place went to A24鈥檚 Hugh Grant horror with $5.2 million, bumping its total grosses to $20.4 million.
Universal and DreamWorks Animation鈥檚 rounded out the top five in its eighth weekend in theaters with an additional $4.3 million. The animated film surpassed $300 million worldwide this weekend.
This weekend is a bit of a stopover before the Thanksgiving tentpoles arrive. Next week, 鈥淲icked鈥� and face off in theaters with , which also stars Johnson, sailing in the Wednesday before the holiday.
鈥淕ladiator II鈥� also got a bit of a head start internationally, where it opened in 63 markets this weekend to gross $87 million. That's a record for filmmaker Ridley Scott and for an R-rated international release from Paramount. It opens in the U.S. and sa国际传媒 on Nov. 22.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. 鈥淩ed One,鈥� $34.1 million.
2. 鈥淰enom: The Last Dance,鈥� $7.4 million.
3. 鈥淭he Best Christmas Pageant Ever,鈥� $5.4 million.
4. 鈥淗别谤别迟颈肠,鈥� $5.2 million.
5. 鈥淭he Wild Robot,鈥� $4.3 million.
6. 鈥淪mile 2,鈥� $3 million.
7. 鈥淐onclave,鈥� $2.9 million.
8. 鈥淗ello, Love, Again,鈥� $2.3 million.
9. 鈥淎 Real Pain,鈥� $2.3 million.
10. 鈥淎nora,鈥� $1.8 million.
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
