Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans' Christmas movie Red One attracted a record 50 million viewers worldwide in its first weekend on Prime Video (in four days), becoming the most popular Amazon MGM Studios debut on the streaming platform, UNN reports citing Variety.
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It's a real Christmas miracle for a movie that had a budget of $250 million and grossed only $32 million in the US last month.
Amazon MGM's head of theatrical distribution Kevin Wilson hinted at the studio's justification for spending big without demanding big ticket sales in return, telling Variety in November: "Whether people like it or not, the value of these films to our business model is different... If we can get these films out in theaters and cover our printing and advertising costs, why not? We get a large-scale marketing campaign that is paid for before the movie is streamed.
Although critics such as Owen Gleiberman of Variety are mostly critical of the film, with an average rating of 33% on Rotten Tomatoes, the film has gained more audience sympathy, receiving an A-rating in the CinemaScore audience poll.
"Given the audience response to Red One in both theaters and on Prime Video, the film is sure to become a holiday favorite for years to come," said Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon MGM Studios, about the film's streaming debut.
Addendum
Prime Video earlier this year touted Jake Gyllenhaal's Road House as its most-watched debut film, also citing 50 million viewers, although this figure was recorded over two weekends, while Code Red was shown for only four days.