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Dwayne Johnson, famous for his electrifying performances as The Rock in WWE, is set to portray former MMA fighter Mark Kerr in the upcoming A24 biopic, The Smashing Machine.
“Winning is the best feeling in the world,” Johnson’s character, Kerr, expresses in the film’s trailer. “It’s 40,000 fans rallying behind you. There’s no high like it.”
Kerr gained fame in the late 1990s, clinching the title of two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion. He faced some of the toughest rivals in mixed martial arts. However, his most significant battles were fought off the mat, grappling with addiction and substance abuse. The real Mark Kerr was also the focus of the HBO documentary The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr.
Emily Blunt appears as Dawn Staples, who was Kerr’s girlfriend and later his wife. Other cast members include Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten, and Oleksandr Usyk.
Benny Safdie makes his solo directorial debut with The Smashing Machine, having gained recognition for co-directing films like Good Time and Uncut Gems with his brother. The producers of this film include Johnson, Safdie, David Koplan, Hiram Garcia, Dany Garcia, and Eli Bush.
In The Smashing Machine, Johnson takes a departure from his typical roles, which predominantly consist of blockbuster films and major franchises like Moana, Red Notice, Black Adam, Hobbs & Shaw, and Jumanji. His last live-action film, Red One, struggled at the box office but later found success on Prime Video.
This film marks a pivotal shift for Johnson as he aims for a more serious, character-driven narrative with aspirations for awards recognition. Although the Academy often favors physical transformations adorned with prosthetics, Johnson has yet to receive a nomination since his career began.
Nonetheless, he appears eager to pivot his career towards more artistic collaborations. Johnson is also set to feature in a Martin Scorsese-directed Hawaiian crime drama alongside Blunt and Leonardo DiCaprio.
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