Dwayne Johnson recently reacted to the disappointing box office debut of The Smashing Machine. The actor addressed the film’s underperformance and reflected on his experience portraying MMA legend Mark Kerr.

Dwayne Johnson's 'Smashing Machine' bombs at the box office. We explain why, and also how it won't lose that much money.

“The Smashing Machine” is based on a 2002 HBO documentary of the same name. The film, now in theaters, premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 1, 2025, with people applauding Johnson’s role and physical transformation to become Kerr. Emily Blunt stars as Kerr’s first wife, Dawn Staples.

The Smashing Machine,” starring Dwayne Johnson as MMA pioneer Mark Kerr, is something simpler and less curious.

In the film, Johnson plays real-life MMA legend Mark Kerr. Johnson sat in the makeup chair for two hours undergoing a transformation process that resulted in the cauliflower ears, a specific browbone piece and other prosthetics, plus hiding his tattoos.

The Conjuring: Last Rites, which was released in September of 2025, just beat an old Dwayne Johnson movie in 31 days. Back in 2018, Dwayne Johnson starred in an iconic monster movie called Rampage.

Safdie opens the film with an almost Rocky III -like approach with a quick look at Kerr’s rise to fame as he lives up to the title of this movie by absolutely smashing his competition and looking like an unbeatable monster in the ring.

The Smashing Machine immerses audiences in a heartfelt drama elevated by Benny Safdie's direction and the performances by Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt.