Red (2010 film)
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Red
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Robert Schwentke
Produced by
Lorenzo di Bonaventura
ark !ahradian
Screenplay by
"on #oeber
$rich #oeber
Based on
Red
by Warren $llis
%ully #amner
Starring
Bruce Willis
or&an Freeman
"ohn alkovich
ary'Louise (arker
#elen irren
Music by %hristophe Beck
Cinematography Florian Ballhaus
dited by Thom )oble
Production
company
*% $ntertainment
#oma&e $ntertainment
di Bonaventura (ictures
%heyenne $nterprises
*+ $ntertainment
Distributed by Summit $ntertainment
!elease date(s) ,ctober -., /0-0
!unning time --- minutes
Country 1nited States
"anguage $n&lish
Budget 2.3 million
4-54/5
Bo# office 2-66,007,839
4-5
Red is a /0-0 :merican action comedy film inspired by the limited comic book series of
the same name created by Warren $llis and %ully #amner, and published by the *%
%omics imprint #oma&e; The film stars Bruce Willis, or&an Freeman, "ohn alkovich,
ary'Louise (arker, #elen irren, and <arl 1rban with +erman film director Robert
Schwentke directin& a screenplay by "on #oeber and $rich #oeber; =n the film version,
the title is derived from the desi&nation of the status of a&ent Frank oses >Bruce Willis?,
meanin& @Retired, $Atremely *an&erous@;
The film was released on ,ctober -., /0-0;
485
: seBuel, Red 2, was released on "uly -6,
/0-8;
Contents
- (lot
/ %ast
8 (roduction
C Release
. Reception
o .;- %ritical response
o .;/ BoA office
o .;8 :wards
7 SeBuel
9 References
3 $Aternal links
Plot
Frank oses >Bruce Willis?, a former black'ops %=: a&ent, is retired and livin& a Buiet
life in a %leveland suburb; #owever, Frank feels lonely and often chats on the phone with
Sarah Ross >ary'Louise (arker?, a customer service a&ent who works for the +S:
pension office in <ansas %ity; #e creates opportunities to talk to her by tearin& up his
pension checks and callin& her to say they had never arrived;
#is life is disrupted when a siA'person hit sBuad raids his house in the middle of the
ni&ht; Frank handily kills the entire sBuad; <nowin& they have tapped his phone, he &oes
to <ansas %ity to protect Sarah; She refuses to &o, so he binds and &a&s her with duct
tape and she becomes FrankDs reluctant companion, while he tries to find out who is
tryin& to kill him, and track down his old associates for help; eanwhile, %=: a&ent
William %ooper ><arl 1rban? is assi&ned to hunt and kill Frank;
Frank first &oes to )ew ,rleans and after leavin& Sarah bound and &a&&ed in their hotel
room, he meets with his terminally ill mentor "oe atheson >or&an Freeman?, livin& in
a retirement community; "oe tells Frank that the same hit sBuad was also responsible for
the murder of a reporter for The New York Times; Sarah mana&es to break free but is
rescued by Frank when another a&ent, posin& as a police officer, tries to dru& her; %ooper
attacks them but Frank tricks the police, so that the police arrest %ooper, which &ives
them time to escape; The two head to )ew Eork %ity and find clues left behind by the
deceased reporter, which leads them to a hit list; They then track down arvin Bo&&s
>"ohn alkovich?, also a former black ops a&ent and a paranoid conspiracy theorist, to
provide more information;
:fter readin& the list, arvin tells them that the names on the list are all connected to a
-63- secret mission in +uatemala in which Frank and arvin participated, and that one
person, +abriel Sin&er >"ames Remar?, is still alive; The trio track down Sin&er, who tells
them that the mission involved eAtractin& a person from a villa&e and that everybody on
the list has been killed to silence them; Sin&er is then assassinated by a helicopter'borne
machine'&unner, and the team escapes as %ooper closes in; Frank &oes to eA'Russian
secret a&ent =van Simanov >Brian %oA?, offerin& him a favor in eAchan&e for his help in
infiltratin& %=: headBuarters; :lon& with Sarah, Frank &ets inside and the records keeper
>$rnest Bor&nine? ' who has much respect for Frank ' simply hands him the +uatemala
file; Frank &oes to confront %ooper in his office and the two have a vicious fi&ht; Thou&h
Frank was victorious, he is shot by %ooper durin& his escape; #avin& escaped an attempt
on his life, "oe arrives and helps eAtract the team; They all hide out in the home of
!ictoria >#elen irren?, who treats FrankDs wound and ' also missin& her old life as a
wetwork a&ent ' Foins the team;
:fter reviewin& the file, all the team can fi&ure out is that the only man involved on the
reporterDs list but not in the file, :leAander *unnin& >Richard *reyfuss?, has some way of
protectin& himself; "oe masBuerades as a dictator from an unnamed country and secures a
meetin& with *unnin&, who is an ille&al arms dealer; :s !ictoria waits outside with
Sarah to keep watch, *unnin& reveals under interro&ation that the mission was to eAtract
the nowG!ice (resident Robert Stanton >"ulian cahon?, who at the time was a youn&
lieutenant who massacred the villa&e civilians, and that Stanton is tryin& to erase all the
loose ends; :t that moment, %ooper and the FB= surround *unnin&Ds mansion; %ooper
tries to ne&otiate FrankDs surrender, but Frank tells %ooper about the vice presidentDs
treachery; "oe sacrifices himself by pretendin& to be Frank surrenderin&, and, as "oe eAits
the house, he is killed by an unknown sniper; The confusion, as well as !ictoriaDs cover
fire, buys the team enou&h time to escape, but Sarah falls down a slope and is captured;
Frank calls %ooper from %ooperDs family home and threatens the family if Sarah is
harmed, and says that he intends to kill Stanton;
The team, alon& with =van, who is !ictoriaDs former lover, infiltrate StantonDs fundraisin&
&ala in %hica&o and successfully kidnap him despite %ooperDs best efforts to stop them;
Frank calls %ooper and says he is willin& to trade Stanton for Sarah; :t the meetin& point,
*unnin& arrives and after a short dialo&ue shoots Stanton, revealin& that he is the
mastermind behind the assassinations and that Stanton was merely a pawn; %ooperDs
boss, %ynthia Wilkes >Rebecca (id&eon?, is also in on the plot; *is&usted with *unnin&
and WilkesD &reed and corruption, %ooper pretends to &o alon& with handcuffin& Frank
before shootin& Wilkes to death while arvin and !ictoria kill *unnin&Ds body&uards,
and Frank crushes *unnin&Ds windpipe, killin& him; %ooper a&rees to let Frank and his
team &o and he is left to sort thin&s out; :s they leave the scene, Frank and Sarah are
ea&er to start a new life toðer;
=van reminds Frank that he owes =van a favor; : few months later, Frank and arvin are
in oldova, fleein& from oldovan :rmy troops with a stolen nuclear device, with
arvin wearin& a dress and in a wooden wheelbarrow bein& pushed by Frank;
Cast
Bruce Willis
485
as Francis @Frank@ oses
"ohn alkovich
4C54.5
as arvin Bo&&s
or&an Freeman
475
as "oe atheson
#elen irren
4C5495
as !ictoria Winslow
ary'Louise (arker
485
as Sarah Ross
<arl 1rban
435
as William %ooper
Rebecca (id&eon as %ynthia Wilkes
Brian %oA as =van Simanov
"ulian cahon
465
as !ice (resident Robert Stanton
$rnest Bor&nine
465
as #enry, The Records <eeper
Richard *reyfuss
465
as :leAander *unnin&
"ames Remar
4-05
as +abriel Sin&er
Production
+re&ory )oveck, a representative of *% %omics workin& in #ollywood to &et their titles
made into films, wanted the comic developed but Warner Brothers was not interested;
The creators of the comic eAercised their ri&ht to &o elsewhere but this reBuired approval
from all divisions of Warner includin& television before it could be approved; :fter
several years, in /003 )oveck was allowed to take the proFect elsewhere, to ark
!ahradian at *i Bonaventura (roductions; 1nusually this made it the first film from *%
not produced by Warner Bros;
4--5
=n "une /003, Summit $ntertainment announced plans to adapt Warren $llis and %ully
#amnerDs Red; RED was adapted for the bi& screen by brothers $rich and "on #oeber,
who also wrote the adaptations of Whiteout and Alice; The proFect was produced by
Lorenzo di Bonaventura >GI Joe, Transformers?;
4-/5
By :pril /006, Bruce Willis was reportedly in discussions with Summit to take the
starrin& role of Frank oses;
4-85
=t was reported in "uly /006 that or&an Freeman was in
talks to co'star alon&side Bruce Willis in the film;
4-C5
:lso in "uly /006, Robert
Schwentke, the director of The Time Travelers Wife and !li"ht#lan, was in ne&otiations
to direct Red;
4-.5
=n :u&ust /006 Schwentke confirmed to $T% News that he was on
board; #e stated that he loved the script but there are differences between the comic and
the movie statin&H @=tDs very funny, which the comic book isnDt ;;; =tDs not as violent as the
comic book,@ and that @The script that =Dve read is obviously different from the comic,
because = donDt think the comic &ives you enou&h for a two'hour movie;@
475
=n )ovember /006, it was reported that #elen irren would work alon&side Freeman and
Willis in the film;
495
=t was also reported in )ovember /006 that "ohn %; Reilly and ary'
Louise (arker were in ne&otiations to Foin the cast; Reilly would play a retired %=: a&ent
who is paranoid that everyone is out to kill him; (arker would play the romantic interest,
a federal pension worker who becomes embroiled in the Willis characterDs stru&&le to stay
alive;
4-75
=n the same month "ulian cahon, $rnest Bor&nine, Richard *reyfuss and
Brian %oA entered ne&otiations to Foin the cast;
465
=n *ecember /006, creator Warren $llis stated on his mailin& list that @>=? Read the RED
script; )ot bad; )ot the book, but not bad; Funny; $specially when you know the castin&;
!ery ti&ht piece of work; Talked to the producers last week; TheyDre all kind of &iddy
over the castin& coups; Who wouldnDt want to see #elen irren with a sniper rifleI@
4-95
:lso in *ecember /006 Summit $ntertainment announced a release date of ,ctober //,
/0-0;
4-35
The same month "ames Remar was cast in an unspecified role,
4-05
in addition to
<arl 1rban as @%ooper@;
435
=n "anuary /0-0 it was reported that "ohn alkovich had
si&ned to star opposite Bruce Willis, replacin& "ohn %; Reilly, who eAited the role in late
*ecember;
4.5
(rincipal photo&raphy be&an on "anuary -3, /0-0 in Toronto, %anada; Red was shot in
and around the Toronto metropolitan area for nine weeks before movin& on to the road
and endin& in )ew ,rleans in late arch for the final two weeks of principal
photo&raphy;
485
Filmin& in the French Juarter of )ew ,rleans commenced in arch
/0-0;
4-65
:dditional photo&raphy was shot for a post'credits scene in Louisiana in :u&ust
/0-0;
4/05
!elease
irren and Willis at a panel for the film at San *ie&o %omic'%on in "uly /0-0
: teaser trailer for Red was released in "une /0-0;
4/-5
The first full trailer debuted in "uly
/0-0 at the San *ie&o %omic'%on =nternational;
4C5
The film premiered at +raumanKs
%hinese Theatre in #ollywood, %alifornia on ,ctober --, /0-0;
4//54/85
Red was released on
Blu'ray and *!* on "anuary /., /0--;
4/C5
!eception
Critical response
Reception for the film has been mostly positive; Red has a 9/L approval ratin& on Rotten
Tomatoes based on -68 reviews with an avera&e ratin& of 7;CM-0;
4/.5
etacritic &ave the
film a score of 7-M-00 based on a normalized ratin& of 89 reviews;
4/75
"ustin %han& of
%ariet& stated Red is @:n amusin&, li&ht'footed caper about a team of a&in& %=: veterans
rudely forced out of retirement@;
4/95
"ohn *eFore of The 'oll&wood Re#orter stated
@:lthou&h tailor'made for &enre fans, it benefits from flavors of humor and romance that
keep its appeal from bein& fanboy'only@;
4/35
%onversely, Ro&er $bert &ave the film two stars out of four, statin& that itDs @neither a
&ood movie nor a bad one; =t features actors that we like doin& thin&s we wish were more
interestin&;@
4/65
:; ,; Scott of the New York Times said, @=t is possible to have a &ood time
at R$*, but it is not a very &ood movie; =t doesnDt really try to be, and &iven the present
state of the #ollywood economy, this may be a wise choice@;
4805
<enneth Turan of the (os
An"eles Times said, @=tDs not that it doesnDt have effective moments, itDs that it doesnDt have
as many as it thinks it does; The filmDs inescapable air of &lib self'satisfaction is not only
lar&ely unearned, itDs downri&ht irritatin&@;
48-5
Bo# office
,n its openin& weekend Red earned an estimated 2//;. million on around C,-00 screens
at 8,/.. locations, comin& in second behind Jackass )*D;
48/5
The film closed in theaters
on February 8, /0--, &rossin& over 260 million in the 1nited States and total of over
2-37;. million worldwide;
4-5
$%ards
$%ard Category &ominee !esult
73th +olden +lobe
:wards
4885
Best otion (icture ' usical or %omedy )ominated
Satellite :ward
4citation needed5
Best Film )ominated
Best :ctor ' otion (icture "ohn alkovich )ominated
Best :ctress ' otion
(icture
ary'Louise
(arker
)ominated
Se'uel
ain articleN Red / >film?
!eferences
-; @R$* >/0-0?@; +o, -ffice $o.o; :mazon;com; Retrieved arch /., /0--;
/; Fritz, Ben >,ctober -C, /0-0?; @ovie (roFectorN Bruce Willis &unnin& for
"ohnny <noAville as DR$*D opens a&ainst D"ackass 8'*D@; (os An"eles Times
>Tribune %ompany?; Retrieved ,ctober -7, /0-0; @The studio spent about 270
million to make @R$*@ after taA credits@
8; @Red Be&ins (rincipal (hoto&raphy@; MFilm; "anuary -3, /0-0; Retrieved
"anuary -3, /0-0;
C; %havez, <ellvin >"uly //, /0-0?; @S*%% /0-0N )ew R$* Trailer@; (atino
Review; Retrieved "uly /8, /0-0;
.; @"ohn alkovich si&ns on for DRedD@; The #ollywood Reporter; "anuary
-0, /0-0; Retrieved "anuary -6, /0-0;
4dead link5
7; @$O%L1S=!$N Robert SchwentkeDs DRedD :daptation To Be : DFunnyD
Take ,n Warren $llisD Story@; $T% /#lash 0a"e; :u&ust C, /006; Retrieved
"anuary /0, /0-0;
9; @%astin& )otesN :lan %ummin& in BurlesBueH irren *oes $spiona&eH
*empsey Steals Lau&hsH Weaver and Shawkat #it %edar Rapids@; MFilm;
)ovember C, /006; Retrieved "anuary -6, /0-0;
3; Rob ; Worley >*ecember /-, /006?; @TR$< *oc cast in R$*@;
mania;com; Retrieved "anuary /0, /0-0;
6; @"ulian cahon sees DRedD@; The #ollywood Reporter; )ovember -/,
/006; Retrieved "anuary -6, /0-0;
4dead link5
-0; "ustin <roll >*ecember -C, /006?; @"ames Remar@; %ariet&; Retrieved
"anuary /0, /0-0;
--; <it, Borys >,ctober -8, /0-0?; @Secret ,ri&inN #ow DR$*D escaped Warner
Bros; and ended up at Summit@; The 'oll&wood Re#orter; Retrieved "anuary /6,
/0--;
-/; @Warren $llisK Red and ,cean #eaded to the Bi& Screen@; MFilm; "une -/,
/003; Retrieved "anuary -6, /0-0;
-8; @Bruce Willis is livin& hard@; Risky Business; :pril /6, /006; Retrieved
"anuary /0, /0-0;
4dead link5
-C; @or&an Freeman "oins The Bi& Screen :daptation of Warren $llisK Red@;
MFilm; "uly -6, /006; Retrieved "anuary -6, /0-0;
-.; @*irector closes in on DRedD@; The #ollywood Reporter; "uly /3, /006;
Retrieved "anuary /0, /0-0;
4dead link5
-7; @"ohn %; Reilly, ary'Louise (arker seein& DRedD@; The #ollywood
Reporter; )ovember C, /006; Retrieved "anuary -6, /0-0;
4dead link5
-9; Warren $llis >)ovember 80, /006?; @B:* S=+):L 1n&h@; Retrieved
"anuary -6, /0-0;
-3; @Red +ets /0-0 Release *ate@; MFilm; *ecember -9, /006; Retrieved
"anuary -6, /0-0;
-6; @R$* ovie Set (ictures@; %omicBookovie;com; arch 8-, /0-0;
Retrieved :pril -, /0-0;
/0; @Willis, alkovich head south for Buick DRedD shoot >eAclusive?@; The
#ollywood Reporter; :u&ust -6, /0-0; Retrieved :u&ust /8, /0-0;
4dead link5
/-; @$Aclusive Teaser Trailer@; Yahoo1; Retrieved "une /C, /0-0;
//; @PRed,K L: (remiere@; Access 'oll&wood; ,ctober -/, /0-0; Retrieved
"anuary -3, /0--;
/8; @e and my &irlsN Bruce Willis proudly shows off his wife and eldest
dau&hter Rumer on the red carpet of new film Red@; Dail& $ail; ,ctober -/,
/0-0; Retrieved "anuary -3, /0--;
/C; @R$* ' ,fficial ovie Website@; Red'themovie;com; Retrieved "anuary
8-, /0--;
/.; @Red ovie Reviews, (ictures@; Rotten Tomatoes; FliAster; Retrieved
,ctober /-, /0-0;
/7; @Red >/0-0?N Reviews@; $etacritic; %BS =nteractive; Retrieved ,ctober
-., /0-0;
/9; %han&, "ustin >September /6, /0-0?; @Red@; %ariet&; Retrieved ,ctober 7,
/0-0;
/3; "ohn *eFore >September /6, /0-0?; @Red '' Film Review@; The
'oll&wood Re#orter; Retrieved ,ctober /-, /0-0;
/6; Ro&er $bert >,ctober -8, /0-0?; @Red@; ro"ere2ert3com; %hica&o Sun
Times; Retrieved ,ctober -C, /0-0;
80; :; ,; Scott >,ctober -C, /0-0?; @Who Ea %allinK +ramps, "uniorI@; New
York Times; Retrieved :u&ust -., /0-/;
8-; <enneth Turan >,ctober -., /0-0?; @ovie reviewN DRedD@; (os An"eles
Times; Retrieved :u&ust -., /0-/;
8/; +ray, Brandon >,ctober -9, /0-0?; @D"ackassD %rashes =nto Fall Record@;
+o, -ffice $o.o; :mazon;com; Retrieved ,ctober -3, /0-0;
88; @The 73th :nnual +olden +lobe :wards ),=):T=,)S Q ,FF=%=:L
W$BS=T$ of the #F(: and the +,L*$) +L,B$ :W:R*S@;
+olden&lobes;or&; *ecember -C, /0-0; Retrieved "anuary 8-, /0--;
#ternal lin(s
,fficial website
Red at the =nternet ovie *atabase
Red at :llovie
Red 42565 film7 at the T% ovie *atabase
Red at BoA ,ffice oFo
Red at Rotten Tomatoes
)sho%*
+
t
e
"i+e,action films based on DC Comics
)sho%*
+
t
e
-ilms directed by !obert Sch%ent(e
%ate&oriesN
/0-0 films
$n&lish'lan&ua&e films
/0-0s action films
/0-0s comedy films
Spy comedy films
:merican spy films
:merican action comedy films
Films set in %leveland, ,hio
Films set in <ansas %ity, issouri
Films set in )ew ,rleans, Louisiana
Films set in )ew Eork %ity
Films set in !ir&inia
Films set in Florida
Films set in :labama
Films set in aryland
Films set in %hica&o, =llinois
Films set in oldova
Films shot in )ew ,rleans, Louisiana
Films shot in Toronto
%entral =ntelli&ence :&ency in fiction
Summit $ntertainment films
Films based on works by Warren $llis
Films based on Wildstorm titles
Films directed by Rober
