Dwayne Johnson's demands balloon 'Red One' budget to £183m

Every day on a movie set comes with a hefty price tag. It's not surprising that there's significant time pressure, and the pace of work is typically quite brisk - all to keep costs down. However, not everyone seems concerned about this. Recent reports about the action comedy "Red One" directed by Jake Kasdan suggest that the film's star, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, has disregarded these norms.

Despite Deadline reporting at the end of last year that the film had already undergone two test screenings, with its financial prospects looking bright, new information from international media paints a different picture. It appears it's not the profits but the budget that has significantly ballooned, mainly due to one individual – Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

According to The Wrap, the "Red One" budget soared to £183 million in recent months. Johnson is widely pointed to as the culprit. Reports suggest the actor frequently turned up on set late, by as much as 7–8 hours, and at times didn't appear at all, resulting in additional costs of around £36.7 million.

Allegedly, on the occasions Johnson did show up, he peed in a water bottle to save time, irritating crew members tasked with disposing of these bottles. The former wrestler has earned a reputation for tardiness and unprofessionalism. Previous projects impacted by Johnson's unreliability include the series "Ballers," "Rampage: Big Meets Bigger," and "Red Notice" directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber. In the case of "Red Notice," his delays led to a significant fallout with co-star Ryan Reynolds.

Towards the end of last year, Hollywood insider Jeff Sneider raised concerns about "Red One". He claimed that the film was "an absolute disaster", likening it to "Lady in the Water" by M. Night Shyamalan. He criticized it as a "Chat GPT’s vision of what a commercial movie should look like." He mentioned attempts to "establish a new mythology on the level of 'The Lord of the Rings', but to no avail," pointing out an apparent lack of chemistry between the leads.

Sneider's sources revealed that the film was nearly complete and that Amazon had hoped it would be ready by December 25, which ultimately didn't happen. A Christmas release would have tied directly into the film's storyline, where after a startling kidnap from the North Pole, the commander of the E.L.F. Task Force must team up with the world’s most notorious bounty hunter to "save Christmas".

The cast features Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy Liu, Kiernan Shipka, and J.K. Simmons. Chris Morgan (known for several Fast and Furious instalments and Shazam! Fury of the Gods) penned the screenplay, and Jake Kasdan (director of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Jumanji: The Next Level, Bad Teacher, and Sex Tape) helmed the project. Both of whom have collaborated with Johnson multiple times in the past.

The global premiere of "Red One" is set for November 15, 2024.