As ‘Red One’ Hits Theaters, Seven Bucks Productions Contemplates Life Beyond Dwayne Johnson
The principals of Seven Bucks Productions –Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia – are between The Rock and a hard place.
The 12-year-old film and TV shop was one of the earliest prototypes for a modern production company built around a megastar. These were businesses created to give more control and equity to figures like Johnson and his contemporaries (Reese Witherspoon, LeBron James and Margot Robbie, to name a few). But as Hollywood struggles with consolidation and a cash crunch, scaling past the big name behind the brand may be essential for their long-term survival.
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Some celebrity-backed companies have chosen to move into ancillary businesses beyond the movies and shows that made an actor an A-lister. Witherspoon, for instance, has become more consequential to book publishing than anyone might have predicted when Hello Sunshine launched. And Robbie and her partners at LuckyChap haven’t just made projects for the “Barbie” actress. Guided by great taste, they’ve partnered with cutting-edge creatives like Emerald Fennell and Megan Park on projects like “Saltburn” and “My Old Ass” that weren’t designed to star Robbie. What does the next phase look like for Seven Bucks?
“It’s a mandate we’ve had for years,” said Dany Garcia, one of Seven Bucks’ founders, on a recent Zoom call. “We’re always thinking about ways to take our operation beyond DJ,” she said, using Johnson’s shorthand.
Seven Bucks has volume when it comes to film and TV credits: “Jungle Cruise,” the “Jumanji” movie franchise, spy thriller “Red Notice,” “Skyscraper” and TV efforts like NBC’s “Young Rock” and “The Titan Games.” Nearly all of them were tailored for Johnson and his unmistakable brand: affable beefcake mixed with some true American grit. But the star and his production label are starting to consider ways to stretch that brand to encompass new audiences and opportunities.
One big swing comes this weekend in the form of “Red One,” a Christmas romp that Hiram Garcia, Seven Bucks president of production, conceived as a “perennial holiday classic.” Johnson plays security chief to Saint Nick (portrayed here as a salty dog by J.K. Simmons), one whose increasing lack of faith in humanity sees him plan to retire after one last Dec. 25 outing. But a band of villains led by Kiernan Shipka have a different idea, kidnapping Santa and forcing Johnson to save the man and the season he represents. A roster of CGI creatures and retired Marvel hero Chris Evans come in to assist in getting presents down the chimney on time.
“Red One” went up for studio auction nearly three years ago, landing at Amazon MGM as a streaming title. It carries an eye-popping gift tag in the form of a $250 million budget (easily the most expensive package under Amazon’s tree) paired with a serious marketing commitment. Siblings Dany and Hiram were “blown away” when, after early testing, Amazon decided to pivot to a theatrical release ahead of a Prime Video premiere (while “Red One” has still not been given a streaming premiere date, it’s hard to imagine it won’t arrive before the holidays).
The gamble seems dicey, given tracking for the film has it opening around $30 million in the U.S. this weekend. It opened in select international territories earlier this month, grossing $28 million worldwide. That’s a long sleigh ride to profitability unless the film legs out through December and beyond. The Garcia’s acknowledged the weak tracking but chose to stay optimistic.
“We understand how hard it is to launch original IP,” said Hiram Garcia, “and I think everyone in the business is trying to be flexible in this new world. But it blew us away when [theatrical] became a possibility. We leaned into wish fulfilment in a new way with this movie. To be in the place we are, with the partners we have, is amazing when we only released our first film seven years ago.”
The hallmarks of a Johnson vehicle are all present in “Red One,” like a skintight costume for the muscular leading man and elaborate action sequences. But playing a reluctant hero suggests a sea change for Johnson, and only the beginning of how far Seven Bucks is willing to stretch his persona as it looks to grow.
Next year, the company will rollout “The Smashing Machine” with A24. Johnson will star in a prestige biopic about MMA fighter Mark Kerr, with “Jungle Cruise” costar Emily Blunt and writer-director Benny Safdie. A first image from the film released months ago featured an unrecognizable Johnson in facial prosthetics, and set tongues wagging on social media as it promises the kind of darker indie fare the public wouldn’t expect from the squeaky-clean Johnson.
“It’s the most dedicated performance he’s ever turned in,” Hiram Garcia said, “but it does still fit into our DNA. It’s an entirely authentic story.”
Even less in the Seven Bucks wheelhouse (and devoid of a Johnson performance) is an upcoming documentary feature about avant-garde comedian Andy Kaufman. Director Clay Tweel (“Gleason”) will investigate the origins of Kaufman’s comedy style and his enduring mystery through insights from family, friends and costars.
Hardcore fans of Johnson – or as the world first knew him, as wrestling sensation The Rock — shouldn’t fret too much over new creative directions. Seven Bucks still knows where its bread is buttered. In June, Variety exclusively reported that Seven Bucks had entered a first look film deal with Walt Disney Studios. It’s with the Mouse House that they will consolidate their ambitions for broad, four-quadrant entertainment. This includes a live action update of “Moana” in which Johnson will portray the demigod Maui. Disney’s also cranking on a Johnson film set in the world of motorsport Monster Jam, and Amazon’s coming back to the Seven Backs table for an adaptation of the video game “It Takes Two.”
But it’s obvious that the company is considering its identity as much as Johnson is personally. In his GQ Man of the Year profile released this week, the actor confided there were only three places in the world he could find solitude. That would be his Virginia farm, his personal gym and his pickup truck – in part, the story argues, “because his silhouette is less noticeable behind the wheel of a car.”
Even less so at the helm of Santa’s sleigh.
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