Fact check – Does Red One have a post-credits scene? Explained

Red One is a Christmas action-adventure film directed by Jake Kasdan. Chris Morgan wrote the film's screenplay from Hiram Garcia's original story. It is produced by Dwayne Johnson, Jake Kasdan, Hiram Garcia, Dany Garcia, Melvin Mar, and Chris Morgan. The film is set to premiere in the United States on November 15, 2024.

The film's official synopsis, as per Rotten Tomatoes, reads:

"After Santa Claus -- Code Name: RED ONE -- is kidnapped, the North Pole's Head of Security (Dwayne Johnson) must team up with the world's most infamous bounty hunter (Chris Evans) in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save Christmas."

Red One does not have a post-credits scene.

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Why does Red One not have a post-credits scene? Reasons explored

Red One does not feature a post-credits or mid-credits scene. Usually, movies include such a scene to get audiences excited about a potential sequel or to reference a plotline or scene from the film. The lack of a post-credits scene hints that the Christmas adventure movie may not get a sequel after all.

A film's box office performance is a great indicator of its potential for a sequel. Red One was projected to earn between $30 million to $35 million in its opening week domestically, as per Variety. The same report from November 12, 2024, also reported that the film picked up $28 million from 75 overseas markets.

This estimated combined box office revenue falls short of the film's production budget of $250 million. Moreover, the film will add to its overall collection from its digital release on Prime Video down the road, but if the total earnings are enough to warrant a sequel needs to be seen.

The absence of a post-credits scene in Red One breaks away from The Rock's recent film releases. Jumanji: The Next Level, Black Adam, DC League of Super-Pets, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, and Fast X all featured post-credits scenes.

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Red One was conceptualized as a franchise from the beginning

The film was announced back in June 2021, after Johnson's Seven Bucks Productions signed a deal with Amazon Studios. Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios said at the time:

"Red One is just the first step in what we know will be a successful, collaborative venture.”

The press release also underscored the vision of turning the film into a lucrative franchise.

"This unique concept represents a property that could encompass not only a tentpole film, but could reach beyond entertainment across multiple industries and businesses."

As per a Deadline report from December 2023, the film was originally meant for a straight-to-streaming release on Prime Video. However, the studio heads at Amazon MGM Studios decided to give it a worldwide theatrical release after the movie performed exceedingly well in two test screenings held in early December 2023.

Jake Kasdan's addition as director was seen as a positive sign. Kasdan previously collaborated with The Rock on the profitable Jumanji film series. However, the film's less-than-stellar box office performance may affect any plans to expand the film's universe in future projects.

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Plot summary and cast

Red One's plot focuses on Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons) getting kidnapped from the North Pole complex on Christmas Eve. His rescue mission is led by Callum Drift (Dwayne Johnson), his head of security who plans to retire after this year's Christmas run.

Zoe Harlow (Lucy Liu) hires the hacker/bounty hunter Jack O'Malley (Chris Evans) to work with Callum and find Santa before the night's Christmas Eve run.

On their mission, Callum and Jack come across mythological creatures like the winter witch Grýla (Kiernan Shipka), Santa's estranged adoptive brother Krampus (Kristofer Hivju), gigantic snowmen, an anthropomorphic polar bear (Reinaldo Faberlle), and several shapeshifters.

In the end, the two stop Gryla's evil plan of trapping every kid on the Naughty List in a magical snow globe and also rescue Santa Claus in time to save Christmas. The festive spirit also restores Jack's sense of wonder and helps him bond with his estranged son, Dylan (Wesley Kimmel). Callum, who was initially disheartened by the lack of goodness in the world, has a change of heart and cancels his plans to retire.