'Red One' spreads holiday cheer at No. 1, 'Gladiator 2' triumphs overseas

Christmas just came early to the weekend box office.

With their new film Red One , Chris Evans and Dwayne Johnson are doing their part to spread the holiday cheer — by saving a kidnapped Santa Claus. Whether or not they accomplish their mission, the duo are already enjoying some success as the film has debuted to $34.1 million domestically, per Comscore.

Meanwhile, Gladiator II held the No. 1 spot overseas. The long-awaited sequel — set to open on Nov. 22 in the U.S. — arrived to a splashy $87 million from 63 international markets.

No. 3 overseas behind Venom: The Last Dance , Red One took in an additional $14.7 million from 75 markets during its second weekend in international theaters, bringing the film's global tally to an estimated $84.1 million.

The star-studded holiday film hails from director Jake Kasdan , who is no stranger to watching Johnson in action after helming 2017's Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and its 2019 sequel, Jumanji: The Next Level . Kasdan didn't hesitate to step up when the actor called him with an idea for the action epic, which takes place somewhere between the world we know and a distant mythological realm.

"I believe that he's a singular film presence," Kasdan previously told Entertainment Weekly of Johnson. "And if it's the exact right thing for him, then he's able to do things that really nobody else can do, and you can't picture anyone else in a part that he's played. The Bravestone character in the Jumanji movies was like that, and in a completely different way, Cal, his character in this movie, is also like that."

Red One follows Johnson as the head of North Pole security, teaming up with a notorious hacker (Evans) in the hope of rescuing Santa Claus ( J.K. Simmons ). The film also stars Lucy Liu , Bonnie Hunt , Kiernan Shipka , Kristofer Hivju , Nick Kroll , and Wesley Kimmel.

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Coming in at No. 2 domestically, Venom: The Last Dance scored $7.3 million in its fourth week of release, bringing the final film in the Venom trilogy to $127.6 million in the United States. Abroad, the film picked up another $17.3 million towards its global pile of $436 million. Directed by franchise scribe Kelly Marcel , The Last Dance finds Eddie Brock ( Tom Hardy ) and the titular symbiote on the run, and hunted by both of their worlds as they're eventually forced to make a devastating decision that may just end their partnership.

Veering away from comic book antiheroes and towards holiday cheer, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever picked up another $5.4 million at the domestic box office for a total of $19.5 million ($20 million globally). Based on the bestselling book, the faith-based film centers on a rowdy group of children who shock the community by taking over their church pageant and uncovering the true meaning of Christmas in the process.

Heretic came in fourth, keeping November's spooky vibes alive with an anxious drama that sees Hugh Grant play a diabolical man who invites two young missionaries into his home only to trap them in a frightening game of cat and mouse as he puts their faith to the test.

Two weeks into its run, Heretic snagged another $5.1 million in domestic markets, a significant 52 percent drop off that brings its sum to $20.4 million. Overseas, the film took in an additional $1.6 million for a global tally of $27.8 million. The religious horror film comes from 65 filmmakers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods .

Although The Wild Robot dropped 35 percent in its eight week of release, the film is clinging tight to its position in the top 5. This time around, the sentimental animated feature snagged an additional $4.3 million domestically for a tally of $137.7 million. The film fared even better in international markets — despite Paddington in Peru encroaching on its territory of tear-jerking whimsy — and earned another $5.9 million for a global total of $308 million.

Featuring an all-star voice cast led by Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong'o , the film follows a shipwrecked robot, Roz, who learns to adapt to its surroundings and build relationships with the native animals — including an orphaned gosling who Roz takes in as her own. The Wild Robot rounds out the top 5 achievers at the domestic box office.

A follow-up to Ridley Scott 's 2000 epic starring Russell Crowe , Gladiator II follows Paul Mescal 's Lucius after he's captured from his home in Numidia (where his mother had sent him for protection) by Pedro Pascal 's Marcus Acacius and taken to Rome, where he seeks revenge. Ahead of the film's debut, Pascal praised his costar's performance during EW's Gladiator II cover shoot .

"I am really excited for everyone to see Paul. I'm sorry, but it has to be said, you are sensational in the movie," he told his costar, joking, "and pretty easy on the eyes."

"He worked so hard, and I got to see that happen in front of me and on the day and lead, with Ridley, this enormous crew and this enormous cast. I think people are going to love it," Pascal continued.