Dwayne Johnson called The Smashing Machine a life-changing experience, despite its modest USD 6 million opening at the box office. He praised the role for pushing him out of his comfort zone and transforming him into MMA legend Mark Kerr
Dwayne Johnson
Despite strong reviews and a 15-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival — where Johnson drew praise for his portrayal of MMA legend Mark Kerr — The Smashing Machine recorded one of the lowest openings for a Dwayne Johnson-led film. The A24 drama, co-starring Emily Blunt, opened in third place with just USD 6 million, trailing Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, which earned USD 11.1 million and has now accumulated USD 107 million globally. First place went to Taylor Swift’s The Official Release Party of a Show Girl, which earned USD 33 million in North America.
Johnson’s response to the box Office
Amid the modest box office turnout, Johnson remained reflective and positive. The actor described the film as life-changing and emphasized that box office results are beyond anyone’s control.
“From deep in my grateful bones, thank you to everyone who has watched The Smashing Machine. In our storytelling world, you can’t control box office results — but what you can control is your performance and your commitment to completely disappear and go elsewhere,” Johnson wrote.
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He added, “I will always run to that opportunity. It was my honour to transform in this role for my director Benny Safdie. Thank you, brother, for believing in me. Truth is, this film has changed my life. With deep gratitude, respect, and radical empathy, DJ.”
‘I was really scared’
Known as one of the highest-paid and highest-grossing actors of all time, Johnson admitted that he felt nervous taking on the role of Mark Kerr, the two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion.
“It was very real. I had not experienced that in a very, very, very long time, where I was really scared and thinking, ‘I don’t know if I can do this. Can I do this?’” he said.
Reflecting on why he hadn’t pursued such roles earlier, Johnson said, “I realized that maybe these opportunities weren’t coming my way because I was too scared to explore this stuff. I was so hungry for an opportunity to do something raw and gritty and rip myself open. And all of a sudden, Smashing Machine comes along.”
Transforming into Mark Kerr
For the role, Johnson wore over a dozen prosthetics to portray the gentle giant known for his fighting prowess. “I just sat in front of that mirror for three to four hours and watched it all change. There were about 13 or 14 different prosthetics — subtle, yet very impactful,” he explained.
“By the time I got to set, I was Mark Kerr. I felt it — from how he walked to how he talked and how he looked at life.”
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