Two of the most fun things about the new holiday film “Red One” are the reimagining of Santa and the North Pole and the addition of burly “operatives” who keep Santa safe. One of those operatives is Callum Drift, played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, as well as a massive (CGI) talking polar bear and other magical creatures. They are agents of Santa’s Enforcement, Logistics and Fortification team (ELF) but they are hardly elf-like.

The film opened in U.S. theaters Nov. 15, 2024, and began streaming on Amazon Prime Dec. 12. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Amazon says more than 50 million households streamed “Red One” in its first four days, a record for the platform, beating out Jake Gyllenhaal’s “Road House” remake.

Watch the trailer below.

The plot includes a buff Santa – played by the inimitable J.K. Simmons who shows off his fitness capabilities in the film – at a glittering North Pole filled with skyscrapers and run by magical creatures protected by the Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority, led by Zoe (Lucy Liu). When Santa is kidnapped, it’s up to MORA, Callum and Jack O’Malley, an ordinary guy from the naughty list (played by Chris Evans) to save Christmas. An ageless Bonnie Hunt (“Jumanji”) plays Mrs. Claus.

Oddly for a movie about the North Pole, it was filmed largely in Georgia and Hawaii. While the CGI effects for magical creatures and futuristic Santa magic required many scenes to be filmed in Atlanta studios, a number of locales across the state can be seen in the film. Here are some you can visit (Atlas of Wonders shows photos of the locations compared with screen shots from the film.):

• The Children’s Museum of Atlanta, 275 Centennial Olympic Park Drive Northwest. This served as the Wondrous Toys store in the film where Callum and Jack go through a portal, according to IMDb and The Cinemaholic.
• Perimeter Mall, 4400 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, Ga. Near the movie’s start, J.K. Simmons’ Santa is having a last-minute visit to a large mall to bring him closer to the children he serves, IMDb says. According to The Cinemaholic, “The mall was completely decked out in Christmas paraphernalia to simulate the festive season time when their adventure takes place.”
• Westview Abbey and Mausoleum, Wilson Avenue, Atlanta. This beautiful historic mausoleum served as the setting for the Christmas Market and Krampus’ lair, IMDb says. The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation says: “The Westview Abbey and Mausoleum is the architectural centerpiece of Westview Cemetery … Construction on the abbey began in 1943, overseen by then Board president, Asa Candler, Jr. Built to hold over 11,000 crypts, it was the largest building of its kind under one roof when completed – over one and a half football fields long.”
• 916 Commercial St. NE, Conyers, Ga. This shop, currently housing Sweet Treat Depot, is seen prominently when Cal and Jack come out of the portal in Aruba, according to IMDb and Atlas of Wonders.
• Row house, 212 Montag Circle NE, Atlanta. This served as the home of Dylan, Jack’s son, IMDb says.
• Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School, 688 Grant St. SE, Atlanta, Ga. This doubled as Dylan’s junior high school, according to IMDb.
• Cobb County International Airport, 1723 McCollum Pkwy NW, Kennesaw, Ga. A portion of the airport was used as the top-secret military base where Santa parked his sleigh, according to the Cobb County Government Facebook page.

SavannahNow reported that filming also took place in Savannah and Jekyll Island, Ga., but gave no specifics.