Dwayne Johnson steps into the Octagon for ‘The Smashing Machine’
A24 and virtuoso filmmaker Benny Safdie are ready to take audiences back to the dawn of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and the beginnings of UFC as seen through the eyes of one of its most dominant and complex champions, Mark Kerr, in The Smashing Machine. And this first trailer offers up a look at what could be one of the most thought-provoking and intensely intimate character studies of the year, and could lead star Dwayne Johnson to Oscar glory!
Watch the first full trailer for The Smashing Machine below:
Here’s the official synopsis:
The Smashing Machine chronicles the life and career of mixed-martial arts and UFC champion Mark Kerr (Dwayne Johnson).
Adapted from the critically acclaimed HBO documentary of the same name, and showcasing the complex life and career of dominant MMA fighter and former UFC champion Mark Kerr, The Smashing Machine is shaping up to be one of the most exciting releases of the year, and audiences can thoroughly expect the unexpected with this one.
Hollywood megastar Dwayne Johnson has utterly transformed for the role of Kerr, undergoing considerable prosthetic make-up to resemble the fighter in his peak-performance frame in the early 1990s. But it’s not just the make-up that has audiences hooked to this first feature, but Johnson’s whole being, from his movement and mannerisms, to the tone and manner of his voice, has changed in order for him to fully portray Kerr. And it’s an utterly stark and raw performance that is teased, and his performance as Kerr will, no doubt, go down as his greatest ever.
Johnson is joined by the phenomenal presence of Academy-Award nominee Emily Blunt who takes on the role of Dawn Staples, Kerr’s unstable girlfriend turned eventual wife, who he shares a deep love for, but who’s wild streak has a major impact on the fighter, and The Smashing Machine will delve deep into their conflicted life together. Blunt strikes a nerve in the role, and it’ll be bound to be a revelatory performance.
The Smashing Machine is set to ground audiences in the dawn of MMA and the UFC, and Safdie captures the savage intensity of the ground-and-pound action, as well as the historical significance that Kerr played in bringing the sport to relevance. A host of respected fighters will be present in the film, including Ryan Bader as Mark Coleman, Bas Rutten as himself, and Oleksandr Usyk as Igor Vovchanchyn. Safdie narrows in on the relationships and competitiveness that define their interactions together.
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Altogether, The Smashing Machine is set to be one of 2025’s most intense cinematic releases, and judging by this first look, this will be a watch you’ll definitely want to see up on the big screen when it debuts in cinemas on October 2.
Image: A24
