Dwayne Johnson’s ‘Red One’ Sets China Theatrical Release

The Dwayne Johnson-starring Christmas-themed comedy adventure film “Red One” is set for a theatrical release in mainland China.

The film is directed by Jake Kasdan and sees Santa Claus (code name: Red One) kidnapped. To save Christmas, the North Pole’s head of security (Johnson) must team up with the world’s most infamous bounty hunter (Chris Evans) in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission.

It will release in China on Nov. 8. The date means that China will be among the first territories to open the picture and that it plays in the Middle Kingdom a week ahead of its outing in North America, where it is scheduled for Nov. 15.

The film is backed by Amazon MGM Studios and distributed in most territories worldwide by Warner Bros. While revenue sharing import films are normally distributed in China through a state-owned enterprise, Warner is understood to have been responsible for negotiating the import, regulatory clearances and local marketing.

The relatively short marketing ramp is a negative for the film. So too is its non-franchise status, and Chinese state media has already cautioned that it may not be a big hit. However, Johnson is a huge draw in China.

Over several years, Johnson has been admired, appreciated and praised in China with commentators citing his personality, charisma and physique as key factors. So too have his attempts to learn Mandarin Chinese and collaborations with Chinese talent.

In 2020, the Global Times, a state-owned tabloid known for pithy commentary on U.S.-China affairs, published an entire article commiserating with Johnson when he caught COVID. The story followed a Johnson Instagram posting that was subsequently re-posted on the Sina Weibo social media platform and which earned 150 million views.

In the pre-COVID era Johnson’s films regularly performed strongly in China, notably those in the “Fast & Furious” franchise. At least four of Johnson’s films – 2015’s “Furious 7,” 2017’s “The Fate of the Furious,” 2018’s “Rampage” and 2018’s “Skyscraper” – grossed more in Chinese theaters than they did in North America.

“Skyscraper” was also partly shot in China. It depicts Johnson as a former FBI agent who defends Hong Kong’s tallest skyscraper against a band of terrorists.

In the post-COVID era, however, most Hollywood films have struggled to connect with the changed tastes and habits of mainland Chinese audiences. They pose little threat to the market dominance of Chinese-made pictures and are currently being imported under somewhat relaxed terms. If anything, Chinese exhibitors may be hoping that some of the next crop of Hollywood titles can gee-up a currently depressed theatrical sector.

A season of re-releases of all eight “Harry Potter” movies is now under way in Chinese theaters, with the first one, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” opening in second place over the latest weekend. “Joker Folie A Deux” will release on Wednesday, while the more anticipated “Venom: The Last Dance” arrives on Chinese screens on Oct. 23.