Red has already become a huge streaming hit despite the film's poor box office performance. In RedIn its opening weekend, the Dwayne Johnson-led film grossed just $32 million at the domestic box office. This was a disappointing start for Redbox office like the film reportedly had a budget of $250 million. Less than a month after its November 15th theatrical release date, Red became available to stream on Prime Video.
Amazon MGM Studios has now shared this Red has the most watched film premiere of all time on Prime Videowith 50 million views in the first four days on the streaming platform. This visualization occurs alongside Red continuing to act in cinemas. It is another streaming success for Prime Video, which also had a wide audience in 2024 for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power 2nd season, The boys 4th season and The idea of ​​you. Check out the comments from Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon MGM Studios, below:
Given the public response to Red both in theaters and on Prime Video, the film will clearly be a perennial holiday favorite for years to come. Every film is different and we are so grateful to partner with our filmmakers to collectively find the right strategy to present this film to the widest possible audience. With RedThere was no doubt that the strategy needed to include a theatrical release and an associated marketing campaign that would drive audiences to theaters and generate awareness for the film among viewers who would eventually tune in to Prime Video. It's gratifying to see our plan pay off for customers, and we're incredibly grateful to the entire film crew and cast who helped make this happen.
What does this mean for Red
The film's legacy has been redefined
Despite poor box office performance Red became a record-breaking streaming hit in just four days. The story of Santa Claus (JK Simmons) being kidnapped and needing to be saved by North Pole security chief Callum Drift (Johnson) and bounty hunter Jack O'Malley (Chris Evans) may not have been an ideal blockbuster , but it's a perfect film to watch at home, especially during the holiday season. Amazon MGM Studios is already declaring Red be a “perennial holiday favorite”, a potential legacy that is only possible through streaming.
Redof the success of streaming happening as the film continues to progress at the box office is a boon for Amazon MGM Studios also. Not every film can be a box office juggernaut, with some faring better in the streaming landscape or when there is a cinema and streaming option available. Red It may not be one of the best Christmas movies of all time, but there is widespread interest in streaming the film, which will likely continue throughout this holiday season and potentially beyond that time as well.
Our take on Red One's streaming success
It was always intended to perform better via streaming than in theaters
RedThe success of streaming raises the question of whether it should have been a direct-to-streaming film all along. The Christmas movie could have been an instant streaming hit, instead of having the discourse surrounding it dominated by discussions about a lackluster box office. Premiering on Prime Video less than a month after its theatrical release indicates that Amazon was more confident in the film's long-term success on streaming than in having legs at the box office anyway, and it's already paying off Redrecord streaming audience.
Source: Amazon MGM Studios