Just a few weeks after its cinema release, this Christmas film arrived in France on Prime Video. Since its release online, it has been a hit to the point of achieving the best start in the history of the streaming platform.
With Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans in the cast, the film Red One could only walk. And yet, with a budget of 250 million dollars, it made a huge flop in American cinemas. After only a few days of operation, it only collected $32 million in revenue. Red One was also released in British and South American cinemas and, after several weeks in theaters, the worldwide box office figures were in and they stood at $175 million. Too little for a film with such a budget.
The flop at the cinema does not worry the production company of Red One
Kevin Wilson, head of theatrical distribution at production company Amazon MGM, told Variety that the studio justified its spending without requiring a lot of ticket sales. “Whether people like these films or not, the value of these films is different to our business model. (…) If we can release these films theatrically and cover our P&A (printing and advertising) costs, why wouldn’t we? us not? We benefit from a massive marketing campaign that is paid for before the film is released for streaming.“
Unlike cinema, Red One a hit on Prime Video
If success in the cinema was not there for Red Onethis action comedy has just found a second wind thanks to streaming. Posted online on Prime Video on Thursday December 12, the film is currently enjoying enormous success, since it is now the most viewed in the history of the blue logo platform with 50 million views just four days after it was posted online. It must be said that Red One was released on Prime Video at the right time, as it tells an unusual Christmas story with the kidnapping of Santa Claus and a major mission to find him which was given to the head of security at the North Pole. A film that contrasts sharply with the Christmas romantic comedies that flood television channels, but also streaming platforms.
Article written with the collaboration of 6médias.
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