What The Rock’s big box office bomb tells us about our needs and desires at Christmas
Dec 13, 2024
Red One is the latest Hollywood attempt at a spectacular festive action film. It is on course to lose $100m. Why don’t they realise we want slippers, jim-jams and Lindsay Lohan?It’s the most wonderful time of the year – a time for carolling and concerts, trees and tinsel, mulled wine, open fires and, of course, The Rock (aka Dwayne Johnson). Or at least, that is, according to Hollywood. The action star’s latest film, Red One, has been playing in cinemas across the world since mid-November. But critically, it’s been regarded as a bit of a stinker.For those who missed it, the film was conceived as the first instalment of a Christmas-themed action franchise. It casts Dwayne Johnson as Callum Drift, commander of the North Pole’s Enforcement Logistics and Fortification (ELF) division – Santa’s security team. Continue reading...