Dwayne Johnson's Unprofessional Behavior Causes Budget Overruns and Delays for 'Red One'

Dwayne Johnson's chronic lateness and lack of professionalism on the set of the Amazon MGM Christmas movie 'Red One' has caused the film's budget to increase to over $250 million, postponing its release to November 2024. Production issues, including Johnson showing up as much as eight hours late to set and forcing the crew to shoot around him, as well as the inexperience of the film's lead producer and Amazon MGM executives, contributed to the increasing budget.

Insiders reported that Johnson was frequently 7-8 hours late to the set, sometimes not showing up at all, which resulted in around $50 million in additional costs. Johnson has developed a reputation in the industry for his tardiness and unprofessional behavior on previous productions as well. The film's director is Jake Kasdan, who has worked with Johnson on the 'Jumanji' movies. Early reports suggest the film is an "unmitigated disaster" with a lack of chemistry between the leads, and Amazon was hoping to have it ready for this Christmas but it turned out to be "a big lump of coal" instead.

Amazon is aware of the issues and has tried to control the narrative, denying any on-set problems, but the film's troubled production has cast doubts on Amazon MGM's ability to effectively become a formidable player in the theatrical space. A spokesperson for Amazon MGM, the studio behind the film, has denied these claims, stating that Johnson and the production team have been "incredible partners" and that any reporting suggesting he was 8 hours late to set is "ridiculous and false".

The film, which also stars Chris Evans, follows a villain who kidnaps Santa from the North Pole, and an E.L.F operative (Johnson) who must partner with the world's most accomplished tracker to find Santa and save Christmas. Johnson's tardiness is well-documented, from showing up late to fan events to leaving entire sets idle while he was off doing lengthy workouts. The 'Red One' production was a "perfect storm of problems" that highlights Johnson's reputation for lateness and lack of professionalism on set.

Why this matters: The reported issues surrounding Dwayne Johnson's behavior and the increasing budget of 'Red One' raise concerns about the actor's professionalism and the management of high-profile productions. The delays and additional costs not only impact the film's release but also cast doubts on Amazon MGM's ability to effectively compete in the theatrical space.

The delays caused by these issues have pushed the release of 'Red One' to November 2024. This latest behind-the-scenes drama intensifies doubts about the Amazon MGM film unit's ability to effectively become a formidable player in the theatrical space. As the production continues to face challenges, the outcome of the film upon its delayed release next year remains uncertain.

Key Takeaways

• Dwayne Johnson's tardiness caused 'Red One' budget to balloon to $250M, delaying release.
• Johnson's unprofessional behavior on set, including 7-8 hour delays, added $50M in costs.
• Early reports describe 'Red One' as an "unmitigated disaster" with lack of chemistry.
• Amazon denies issues, but production troubles cast doubt on their theatrical ambitions.
• Delays have pushed 'Red One' release to November 2024, outcome remains uncertain.