“We love all holiday films,” says Dwayne Johnson, who stars as Santa Claus’s head of security in the Christmas action-comedy “Red One.”
“The classics like ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ and ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ as well as the contemporary favorites like ‘Elf’ and ‘Bad Santa,’” he continues. “We all love them for the same reason: they bring us back to that warm feeling of being with friends and family, the time of year when life slows down for a minute. And there’s nothing better than watching a great Christmas movie with the people you love.”
In “Red One,” Johnson teams up with Chris Evans in a globe-trotting action-packed holiday adventure to save Christmas after Santa Claus (Oscar winner J.K. Simmons) – Code Name: RED ONE – gets kidnapped.
Johnson plays Callum Drift, head of Santa’s security team, the E.L.F., which stands for Enforcement, Logistics and Fortification. “Callum is to Santa Claus what the head of the Secret Service is to the president of the United States,” explains Johnson. “They’ve been working together for between three and four hundred years.” All that time, Cal has helped Santa bring inspiration, joy and happiness to the world each year and loved every minute of it. But the world has changed, and though Cal still loves the enthusiasm of kids, the adults are getting on his nerves.
Enter Jack O’Malley, Cal’s mission partner – who also represents everything Cal despises about grown-ups. “Jack is the world’s greatest tracker,” says director Jake Kasdan. “But he’s also a mercenary who will work for anybody but is loyal to nobody. And on top of everything else, he’s on the Naughty List.”
Chris Evans, who plays Jack, describes his character as a bit of a rascal. “And it’s always fun to play a rascal! But in his personal life he’s struggling,” says Evans. “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.”
Cal and Jack are both irrepressible Alphas who can’t resist butting heads, says screenwriter Chris Morgan. “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.”
“This one is really special to us,” shares Johnson. “From a bunch of filmmakers that love Christmas, we’re thrilled to be telling a story that lets us celebrate the holidays with audiences all over the world.”
Directed by Kasdan, who has previously teamed up with Johnson on the blockbuster “Jumanji” movies, “Red One” also stars Lucy Liu (the “Charlie’s Angels” franchise), Kiernan Shipka (“Twisters”), Bonnie Hunt (“Cheaper By the Dozen”), Kristofer Hivju (“Game of Thrones”), Nick Kroll (“Big Mouth”) and Wesley Kimmel (“The Mandalorian”).
Get in on the Christmas spirit and watch “Red One,” distributed in the Philippines by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Discovery company, opening in Philippine cinemas November 6. Book your tickets via www.redonemovie.com.ph, or visit the websites of your favorite cinemas! #RedOneMovie
