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It's too hot for this right now, but the first trailer for The Rock's Christmas action film about rescuing Santa is here

If you're excited for this one, don't bottle it up.

Dwayne Johnson, wearing black and red leather, is stood with Chris Evans, in a brown outfit and leather jacket, in a toy shop in a promotional image for Red One.
Image credit: Amazon MGM Studios

We're right in the middle of a heatwave over here in the UK, but that hasn't stopped MGM releasing the first trailer for the Christmas action flick Red One.

Remember when they used to just make regular, nice, happy Christmas films? One where families come together even when times are tough, beating some kind of odds that are stacked against them? At this point I don't, because it seems like every Christmas film these days has to be some kind of spin on the genre. Where's the earnestness! There's certainly none to be found in the first trailer for Red One, which Amazon MGM Studios released yesterday. If you've managed to avoid hearing about the upcoming Christmas movie, it stars Chris Evans as the world's most infamous bounty hunter, as he's tasked by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Santa's right-hand man, to rescue good ole Saint Nick.

Watch on YouTube

You can check out the first trailer for the film above which looks… fine. I think I'm being a bit generous there, as the dialogue is hammy as hell ("You can't trust this guy, he's on the list. Yes, that list") and the performances seem incredibly phoned in. But it's got J.K. Simmons in it as a buff Santa, so, I don't know, maybe there's something fun to be found there. Rounding out the cast are Lucy Liu (Kill Bill), Kiernan Shipka (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Bonnie Hunt (Jumanji), Kristofer Hivju (Game of Thrones), Nick Kroll (Sausage Party), and Wesley Kimmel (The Mandolorian). On directorial duties is Jake Kasdan, who Johnson previously worked with on Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and The Next Level.

It should be noted that a report emerged earlier this year about Johnson's behaviour on the set of Red One, where numerous anonymous sources alleged that he would relieve himself in water bottles on set, leaving his team or personal assistant to dispose of it. There were also claims that he would turn up to set late by as much as eight hours, with the crew reportedly forced to shoot around him. So, keep that in mind if you're thinking about chucking it on when it releases in November later this year.

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