The Cast of Red One Talks Tackling Action, Heart, and Comedy In A Christmas Movie
The electrifying action comedy Red One takes audiences on a whirlwind trip into a hidden world of mythology and magic, long hidden from prying eyes. Superstars Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans lead a star-studded cast on an unforgettable action-packed adventure into the mythological world, liberally seasoned with holiday laughs. For the first time in history, the unthinkable has happened: Santa’s (J.K. Simmons) legendary North Pole outpost has been breached and the man with the bag has been kidnapped.
Callum Drift (Johnson), Commander of the E.L.F. and head of security for “Red One” (Santa’s code name), springs into action along with Jack O’Malley (Evans), the world’s best tracker and the man responsible for unwittingly revealing Santa’s secret location. As the mismatched duo crisscrosses the globe to bring Santa home in time for his legendary annual run, they will have to confront the most treacherous of Yuletide dangers, from Christmas villains Krampus (Kristofer Hivju) and Grýla (Kiernan Shipka) to a trio of sinister snowmen.
Ahead of the film’s fast approaching theatrical release, the cast and crew of Red One sat down at the global press conference to talk all about their new, inventive holiday film.
Red One is not your average holiday movie. The film incorporates action, comedy, and heart with Christmas being at the forefront. When balancing comedy and action Evans clarifies that the story begs for action so “it’s not as hard as you think.” Evans explained that the action stems from all of the Christmas “lore” the film has to offer. Simultaneously, Johnson continued: “There’s so much heart in this film. My favorite part in this movie is JK [Simmons] as Santa Clause reminds me that it's our job to see the best in people, look beyond who’s on the naughty list, and look at the kid in everybody.”
Johnson, who has collaborated with director and producer Jake Kasdan in the past on global sensations Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Jumanji: Next Level, said he knew the filmmaker had the vision they needed. “Jake and I had worked together on the Jumanji movies and this seemed like the perfect next chapter to our partnership. Jake is a gifted filmmaker who knows how to tell a funny, heart-warming story in the context of a giant, fantastical action movie,” he shared. “We’ve done it together before and we knew he was the perfect director for us.”
Lucy Liu was more than nervous about preparing for her role as Zoe, as Liu’s lengthy career hasn’t collided with an action role in some time. We’ve known Liu has what it takes from projects like Kill Bill: Volume 1 and Charlie’s Angels, but she was hesitant about an action film 20 years later at this point in her career. Luckily she had nothing to fear! “As soon as I got the sticks in my hands, it was like muscle memory,” she revealed. “It gets girls and women excited, so it’s nice that I’ve still got it.”
Meanwhile, Kiernan Shipka had a blast playing a villain. “Playing someone who’s a villain while maintaining a sense of levity and fun with the whole thing was really lovely. It was great,” she said. “I’ll play villain anytime.”
Red One will hit theaters on November 15.
