The continuing employment of Kathleen Kennedy. The inexplicably large grosses of Avatar movies. The mere existence of Wicked. These are all signs that we no longer live in an Outposters world. Maybe we are just out of touch, and out of step? Another thing to add to this list is the news that Red One has been a massive success.
The Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans-led Christmas action comedy was savaged by critics, including us. It was then a monumental flop at the box office.
It was originally planned as a streaming only release, and it turns out that in its natural environment it wasn’t just OK, it was a huge hit.
Red One chalked up the biggest opening for an Amazon MGM Studios film to date on Prime. It beat previous record holder Road House by the speed at which people tuned in. Over the first four days over 50 million households watched it.
It was delayed by a year to grab a window for the theatrical release, where it bombed, and Amazon now claims this as strategy. Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon MGM Studios, said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter:
“With Red One, there was no doubt that strategy needed to include a theatrical release and associated marketing campaign, which drove audiences to theaters and generated awareness for the film with viewers who would ultimately tune in on Prime Video.
It’s rewarding to see our plan pay off for customers, and we are incredibly thankful to the entire filmmaking team and cast who helped make it happen.”
Maybe it is time to face facts, as we slide into grumpy old age, that this whole thing just works differently now.