Red One producer, Hiram Garcia, has revealed that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson will not be starring in the Christmas-themed film as Santa Claus. Red One is an upcoming Amazon Studios' holiday film that will star Johnson and will be written by Hobbs & Shaw-writer, Chris Morgan. It was reported back in June that Johnson was joining the cast of the action-adventure comedy that will introduce a whole new universe within the holiday genre. Very few details have arisen as to the specifics of the plot or what will classify it as a holiday film. The lack of details has led to some speculation about Johnson's role and whether he might be playing Santa in the film.
As reported by Slashfilm, producer Garcia has confirmed that Johnson will not be portraying Santa in Red One. Garcia was uncertain why individuals were quick to assume Johnson would be Santa in the film and stepped in to debunk the theory. While Johnson won't be playing Santa, he will be playing "something really awesome" instead. Garcia went on to explain that Red One will not be a conventional holiday film, but will be a twist on Christmas mythology that will turn the holiday genre on its head. He also revealed a tentative release date of December 2023. Check out his statement below:
It's funny, he's not playing Santa. For some reason, everyone thinks he's playing Santa. He's not playing Santa, but he's playing something really awesome. We're really excited about it. It's the movie we're looking to film next year. We're thrilled to have Jake Kasdan to direct it, because he is such a master in that space and the tone we're wanting to do. It is very much "Hobbs and Shaw" meets "Guardians of the Galaxy" meets "Miracle on 34th Street." It's going to take holiday mythology and turn it on its head. Really, it's hard to find another Christmas movie to even compare to it. I don't think there's ever been anything done like this in that space, which is always very appealing to us. We're really excited about it, Amazon's been great with it, and we're in the process – the script's about to be written, and we'll be shooting that next year. Our goal is, knock on wood, we're hoping to have that ready for December 2023.
While the announcement might come as a disappointment for fans who hoped to see the action star in the jolly red suit and beard, it makes sense given the premise of the film. It seems like it won't be the usual Christmas movie, but more of an action film with classic Christmas sentiments behind it. Of course, it is exceedingly difficult to accurately envision a buddy cop/superhero/classic Christmas film, but it is safe to say it won't be typical. The mention of holiday mythology also makes one wonder if it will be an exploration of the pagan roots and origins of the holiday, rather than a take on the commercial holiday. Even if Johnson is not portraying Santa, the film will still see him reunite with Jumanji director, Jake Kasdan. With a strong and connected cast and crew and large vision, Red One may be a big Holiday hit for Amazon, even if viewers are denied the image of Johnson in a Santa suit.
Source: Slashfilm