Why Did Dwayne Johnson's 'Red One' Come To Streaming So ...

"Red One" partial poster.

Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans’ Christmas movie Red One is new on streaming on Prime Video Thursday, less than a month after it debuted in theaters. So why did the film make such a quick debut on the streamer?

The logline for Red One reads, “After Santa Claus—Code Name: RED ONE—is kidnapped, the North Pole's Head of Security (Johnson) must team up with the world's most infamous bounty hunter (Evans) in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save Christmas.”

J.K. Simmons plays Santa Claus in Red One, which also stars Lucy Liu, Kiernan Shipka, Bonnie Hunt and Kristofer Hivju.

ForbesWhen Is ‘Kraven The Hunter’ Coming To Streaming And Netflix?By Tim Lammers

Red One opened on 4,032 screens on November 15, earning $34 million in its debut weekend at the box office. To date, per The Numbers, Red One has grossed $87. 1 million domestically and $78.7 million internationally for a running worldwide box office take of $165.8 million.

According to The Numbers, Red One had a production budget of $200 million before prints and advertising.

As of Thursday, Red One is still playing on 3,150 screens in North America. And while it’s not unusual for a film to debut on digital streaming via premium video on demand while it is still playing in theaters, it’s rare for it to simultaneously be available on streaming video on demand less than a month after its theatrical release.

Perhaps the biggest reason Red One debuted as quickly as it did on Prime Video is because that’s where the movie was supposed to launch from in the first place.

According to Deadline, Red One was originally conceived as a straight-to-streaming release for Prime Video, but trade publication noted that Amazon MGM Studios opted for a wide theatrical release after the film did well in test screenings.

As a result, going theatrical with the film instead of streaming it off the bat clearly allowed Amazon MGM Studios to recoup some of its production costs. As long as the film maintains its legs, it will continue to earn money and please at-home viewers with the quick—and very timely—arrival on streaming.

Forbes12 Best Animated Christmas Movies Or TV Specials, As Rated By Rotten TomatoesBy Tim Lammers

After all, every Amazon MGM Studios theatrial release—most recently Blink Twice and My Old Ass—ends up on Prime Video at some point anyway. Strategically, going a few weeks earlier than normal—especially during the holiday season—is actually a smart and very sensical move for the company.

As a matter of timing, it would make no sense at all for Amazon MGM Studios to start streaming Red One on its Prime Video platform in January.

While Red One was roughed up by Rotten Tomatoes critics, audiences are viewing the Christmas action movie quite differently. As of Thursday, Red One’s Popcornmeter score on RT stands at 90% “fresh” based on 2,500-plus verified user ratings.

Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans’ Red One is available to stream now on Prime Video.

Corrected, Dec. 12: An earlier version of this article reported cited information on background related to 'Red One' debuting on Amazon Prime Video. Quoted material and its source were remvoed.

Forbes‘The Best Christmas Pageant Ever’ New On Digital Streaming This WeekBy Tim Lammers

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website or some of my other work here.