Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is known for his boundless enthusiasm when promoting his films, but his latest comments about Red One—comparing it to Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer—have left fans and critics chuckling.
In a recent IMAX promotional video, Johnson shared how Nolan’s summer blockbuster inspired him to envision Red One on IMAX screens, claiming the experience of watching Oppenheimer was so profound that it spurred him to aim for the “biggest screen possible” for his own project.
Reflecting on that moment, Johnson recalled being “midway through shooting Red One” when he went to see Oppenheimer in IMAX. He even sat in the director’s preferred seat to take it all in. “I sat where Chris sat, I watched Oppenheimer, it was amazing… and I was thinking, ‘Red One on this screen, with this technology, can be game over,’” he said.
It’s gonna… rock! See what we did there, @TheRock? #RedOneMovie pic.twitter.com/H0pvoZSaG3
— IMAX (@IMAX) November 11, 2024
Oppenheimer, widely regarded as one of the defining cinematic achievements of the decade, set a high bar that even seasoned directors aspire to match. Given Red One’s genre and early reception—already holding a modest 37% score on Rotten Tomatoes—the comparison struck many as optimistic, if not outright amusing.
Twitter erupted with reactions, from light-hearted jokes to sheer disbelief. “The Rock saw Oppenheimer in IMAX and his first thought was literally, ‘Yeah, but what if I was watching abysmal sh*t,’” one user quipped. Another added, “Can’t even hate on this level of self-servicing delusion. All-time quote right here.”
This isn’t the first time Johnson has hyped up one of his films beyond its critical reach. His 2022 film Black Adam was heavily promoted as a game-changer for the DC universe but struggled at the box office, with many questioning his insistence that it turned a profit.
Johnson’s status as a business-savvy powerhouse with some of the highest-grossing films under his belt, however, often fuels his drive to push each project as a major cinematic event.
For Red One, the campaign to land it on IMAX screens—typically reserved for sweeping, visually ambitious films—comes across as a lighthearted overreach for many moviegoers.
“Comparing your sh*tty action film with a generational masterpiece is f**king hilarious,” one user commented. “Bro Red One is not Oppenheimer; the best seat to watch it is the toilet seat,” another joked, capturing the general sentiment online.
