Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is renowned for his hard work and muscular presence in action-comedy films. But it seems like his image has encountered a significant setback with his latest venture, ‘Red One.’
The movie was initially anticipated as a high-profile Christmas blockbuster for Amazon MGM. Now it has become a huge financial disaster, which has altered perceptions about Johnson’s reputation and work ethic.
Originally slated for a Christmas 2023 release, ‘Red One’ has faced a series of setbacks. Its theatrical debut has been pushed back to November 2024. While attributed to labor strikes from the previous year, the underlying issues run deeper.
Behind the scenes, production hurdles have plagued the film. The issues included producers’ inexperience as well as Johnson’s habitual tardiness and lack of professionalism on set. The movie also starred Chris Evans and J.K. Simmons. It drove up the cost of the film to a final budget of over $250 million.
Reports indicate instances where Johnson arrived on set up to eight hours late, disrupting the shooting schedule. Crew members resorted to filming around him on certain days, increasing tensions.
Johnson’s weird habits further strained relations on set. In order to save time, he started urinating in a Voss water bottle instead of using designated facilities. This sparked controversy among crew members.
One insider told the wrap: “On set, away from his trailer, if he needs to pee, he doesn’t go to the public bathroom. He pees in a Voss water bottle and his team or a PA has to dispose of it.”
Despite attempts to downplay the habit as a quirk of his rigorous routine, it has garnered attention and criticism.
The Voss bottle initially surfaced in an Instagram story in 2017 and was then included in a magazine piece.
Johnson turned the habit into a strange source of pride and told Esquire: “I usually stay pretty hydrated. I need to go to the bathroom a lot. Not a lot, but probably a couple of times during every workout I have to go to the bathroom. So I break out the bottle.”
Johnson was criticized for his Voss pee bottle in 2021 by a crew worker on the IATSE Stories post. He said: “Nevermind what you expect the PA’s to clean up after you (what is it you put in your empty water bottles?!?!)”
Two sources close to the production disputed that Johnson had ever requested a production assistant or other member of his crew to dispose of a bottle of his pee on site. One of these people said, “He would never ask another person to dispose of something like that.”
Moreover, allegations have surfaced regarding the misuse of production funds. Accusations suggest that Johnson’s production company (Seven Bucks Productions) diverted resources for personal use unrelated to the film’s promotion.