The Rock has left the building.
In the just-released first trailer for “The Smashing Machine,” Dwayne Johnson doesn’t just play UFC legend Mark Kerr — he becomes him. Gone is the megawatt smile and larger-than-life persona we’ve come to expect from Hollywood’s highest-paid action star. In its place? A haunted, hulking fighter battling demons both in and out of the octagon.
A24 dropped this bombshell Tuesday morning, and fans are already buzzing about what might be Johnson’s Oscar moment.
The film marks Benny Safdie’s solo directorial debut, stepping out from the intense, anxiety-inducing shadow he cast alongside brother Josh with cult favorites “Uncut Gems” and “Good Time.” For Safdie, known for pulling raw, unflinching performances from his actors, Johnson represents his most ambitious canvas yet.
Emily Blunt reunites with her “Jungle Cruise” co-star as Kerr’s wife Dawn Staples, though the chemistry here promises something far darker than their Disney adventure. Rounding out the cast are MMA legend Bas Rutten, rising star Lyndsey Gavin, and current heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk — bringing authentic fighting credibility to the production.
The film delves into the life of Kerr, the two-time UFC heavyweight champion whose nickname “The Smashing Machine” reflected both his devastating fighting style and the personal destruction left in his wake. While dominating opponents from 1997 to 2009 and collecting four ADCC World Championships, Kerr’s life outside the cage spiraled into painkiller addiction and turbulent relationships — struggles previously captured in HBO’s 2002 documentary of the same name.
“I’m at a point in my career where I want to make films that matter,” Johnson told Variety about his decision to take on such challenging material. “I want to push myself in ways that I’ve not pushed myself in the past… to explore humanity and struggle [and] pain.”
For Johnson, who teams again with Blunt for an upcoming Martin Scorsese Hawaiian crime thriller alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Smashing Machine” represents the kind of career pivot that transformed former wrestlers like Dave Bautista into respected dramatic actors.
Safdie wrote the screenplay and produces alongside Johnson, Dany Garcia, Eli Bush, Hiram Garcia, and David Koplan, with Tracey Landon executive producing.
Mark your calendars: “The Smashing Machine” smashes into theaters October 3rd.
Watch the trailer that has everyone talking. This isn’t just another boxing movie — it’s a potential knockout for Johnson’s career.
