😱 THE ROCK’S BIGGEST DISASTER JUST PULLED OFF THE IMPOSSIBLE COMEBACK – His $250M Holiday Mega-Flop Is Suddenly One of America’s Most-Watched Movies! 😱

Everyone wrote it off as a total trainwreck: insane budget, brutal reviews, tanked hard at theaters… and now, exactly one year later?

Dwayne Johnson’s wild Christmas action extravaganza – with Chris Evans, epic North Pole chaos, and J.K. Simmons as a badass Santa – is exploding on streaming. It’s crushing Top 10 charts across the US, battling classics for the #1 spot, and turning into the holiday binge nobody saw coming.

Critics hated it, box office buried it… but families are devouring it at home. Is this the ultimate redemption? Or proof The Rock is still unbreakable?

Who’s watching it right now? Drop your verdict below and tag a friend who skipped it in theaters – they NEED to see this glow-up! 👇🎄💥

Exactly one year after its troubled theatrical release, Dwayne Johnson’s holiday action-comedy Red One has found new life on streaming, surging into the top ranks on Prime Video and emerging as a go-to watch for American audiences during the 2025 holiday season.

Released in theaters on November 15, 2024, the Amazon MGM Studios production carried a reported $250 million budget—one of the priciest for a non-franchise film in recent years. Starring Johnson as Callum Drift, the burly head of security for the North Pole, alongside Chris Evans as a cynical bounty hunter and J.K. Simmons as a muscular Santa Claus, the movie promised a high-octane twist on Christmas lore, complete with mythological creatures, over-the-top action, and family-friendly humor.

Initial expectations were high. Amazon shifted the project from a planned Prime Video exclusive to a wide theatrical rollout, aiming to launch a potential new holiday franchise. Directed by Jake Kasdan (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle), with a script from Chris Morgan (Fast & Furious series), it featured supporting roles from Lucy Liu, Kiernan Shipka, and Bonnie Hunt. Early trailers generated buzz, positioning it as a blend of Die Hard and seasonal cheer.

But the reality proved harsher. Red One opened to a disappointing $32 million domestically, far below projections for a star vehicle of its scale. It ultimately grossed around $98 million in the U.S. and $186 million worldwide—figures that left it deep in the red when factoring in marketing and distribution costs. Critics were unkind, awarding it a 30% on Rotten Tomatoes, with complaints about tonal inconsistency, excessive CGI, and a bloated runtime. Variety and other outlets labeled it a relic of overspending from the streaming wars era.

Behind-the-scenes reports added fuel. Stories emerged of production delays, with some sources attributing budget overruns to on-set issues, though Amazon and Johnson’s team pushed back against those claims. Johnson, whose salary reportedly approached $50 million, faced scrutiny amid a string of underperformers, prompting discussions about his box office drawing power in a post-pandemic landscape.

The film hit Prime Video on December 12, 2024—just weeks after theaters—and quickly became a streaming sensation, logging a record-breaking debut with over 50 million views in its first days. It topped charts that holiday season, proving more palatable as home viewing than a premium ticket purchase.

Fast-forward to December 2025, and history is repeating with even stronger momentum. As of late December, tracking data from FlixPatrol shows Red One consistently in the U.S. Top 10 on Prime Video, peaking at No. 2 behind classics like How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000). Globally, it has dominated as the platform’s most-watched movie in many periods, outpacing newer 2025 releases like Oh. What. Fun. (starring Michelle Pfeiffer) and holding off competitors in dozens of countries.

Audience scores tell a different story from critics: An 89% Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes reflects widespread enjoyment as escapist fun. Viewers praise the chemistry between Johnson and Evans, the spectacle of holiday-themed action sequences, and its rewatchability for families. Social media buzz highlights it as a “guilty pleasure” or “new Christmas tradition,” with comments like “not as bad as reviews say” echoing across platforms.

This resurgence aligns with broader trends in holiday viewing. Streaming services have become the primary destination for seasonal content, where lower stakes allow divisive films to thrive. Similar paths were trodden by titles like Netflix’s Carry-On or previous Prime hits like Candy Cane Lane. For Amazon, Red One validates the strategy of theatrical tests for streamer originals—recouping some costs upfront while building hype for the home debut.

Johnson’s 2025 has been mixed but eventful. He earned acclaim—and a Golden Globe nomination—for his dramatic turn as MMA fighter Mark Kerr in A24’s The Smashing Machine, directed by Benny Safdie. That film, released in October, drew praise for Johnson’s vulnerability but opened softly at the box office. Meanwhile, voice work in Disney’s blockbuster Moana 2 (2024 carryover success) kept him in family-friendly territory.

The actor has addressed his recent slate candidly, emphasizing commitment over commercial results. In interviews tied to The Smashing Machine, he noted, “You can’t control box office… but you can control your performance.” At 53, Johnson remains one of Hollywood’s busiest stars, with projects like a potential Lobo role in the DC Universe and producing credits keeping his profile high.

For Red One, the streaming success offers vindication. While it won’t erase the theatrical loss, perennial holiday plays could accumulate significant value for Prime Video, much like how older titles dominate December charts annually. Discussions of a sequel have quieted, but strong viewership might revive interest.

As of December 31, 2025, Red One remains a fixture in Prime Video’s Top 10 in the U.S. and worldwide, cementing its status as a modern holiday staple—flawed, flashy, and unexpectedly enduring. In an industry quick to bury bombs, its comeback underscores how streaming can rewrite narratives, one binge at a time. The movie is available exclusively on Prime Video.