10 INSANE Reasons Movies Were So Expensive
2. The Rock's Constant Lateness - Red One
Though the recently released Christmas blockbuster Red One certainly looks expensive, does it really justify an eye-watering $250 million price tag?
Well, according to an expose published by The Wrap back in April, Red One's original production budget was a (slightly) more sensible $200 million, but costs were driven up by $50 million throughout shooting due to Dwayne Johnson's constant lateness to set.
Johnson was alleged to regularly show up 7-8 hours late and even missed numerous days of shooting outright, leaving the production burning money with overtime for its crew.
Some quarters laid additional blame at inexperienced producer Hiram Garcia, who in a not-so-coincidental twist, is Johnson's former brother-in-law and business partner.
Though Garcia disputed the inflated budget, it's tough to square those numbers away, especially with Johnson freely admitting his lateness in a more recent interview.
Amid negative reviews and a crowded box office frame, it's near-impossible for Red One to turn a profit theatrically, though given that it was originally conceived as a direct-to-Amazon Prime release, that's at least not the end of the world in this instance.