Chris Evans and Dwayne Johnson heat up Christmas in the bonkers new trailer for Red One.
The trailer, which Amazon MGM Studios dropped on Tuesday, June 25, follows E.L.F. Task Force Commander Callum Drift (Johnson) teaming up with bounty hunter Jack O’Malley (Evans) to save Christmas after an elaborate plot unfolds to kidnap a very jacked Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons).
“We’re gonna find him,” Callum quips in the trailer before Jacqueline Frost (Lucy Liu) refers to Jack as “the best tracker in the world,” who she intends to recruit for the recovery mission.
Red One mixes fantasy with reality, leaping off the pages of a comedy-fueled screenplay written by Chris Morgan and adapted from Hiram Garcia’s original story.
“You can’t trust this guy, he’s on ‘the list,’” Callum says of Jack, referring to Santa’s “naughty list.” A clip even shows Callum stealing candy from a baby.
A polar bear — who can talk and is wearing tactical gear, naturally — points at Jack, asking. “Are you telling me this clown is a Level Four Naughty Lister?”
The trailer then launches into a roaring sequence of action and comedy — from talking polar bears and fighting snowmen to explosions and snowmobile chases — where Evans and Johnson deliver clever one-liners throughout while Jay-Z’s “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” plays.
Bonnie Hunt, Wesley Kimmel, Kiernan Shipka, Kristofer Hivju and Nick Kroll will also appear in the film.
On Monday, Johnson took to social media ahead of the trailer’s release to share a fun post with fans alongside a poster of the film.
“MISSING: SANTA CLAUS [CODE NAME: RED ONE],” he wrote. “All points alert to everyone around the world— be on the lookout for this man. Last seen at the North Pole. If you have any information, please reach out to the E.L.F. North Pole Command Center via the number on the bottom of this official RED ONE poster.
He added, “WE NEED YOUR HELP. Christmas depends on it. And Nick, buddy, if you’re reading this— I will find you. ~ Callum Drift, Commander of The E.L.F.”
In December 2022, Johnson posted behind-the-scenes photos on social media showing Simmons’ transformation into a muscular Santa Claus.
“Ladies, gentlemen & children of all ages…the coolest, strongest, kindest, most bad ass, most loving & most OG Santa Claus of all time,” he captioned the post at the time. “Brought to life by Academy Award winner, J.K. Simmons who worked his ass off for months to step into this iconic role in AMAZING SHAPE for our Christmas franchise film, RED ONE. We’re having a BLAST and so will you and your families when you see our movie!!”
Red One, which is rated PG-13, hits theaters (including IMAX and Dolby Cinema) on November 15.
