Summary
-
The Smashing Machine
is a new film about UFC champion Mark Kerr, directed by Benny Safdie and starring Dwayne Johnson. - Johnson is training hard for his role as Kerr, calling it his toughest yet and emphasizing the physicality of the role.
- While Johnson has wrestling experience,
The Smashing Machine
will challenge him in a new genre as he makes his A24 debut.
Dwayne Johnson is back in the ring for a new training video for The Smashing Machine. Directed by Uncut Gems’ Benny Safdie, The Smashing Machine is an upcoming film about UFC champion Mark Kerr. The Smashing Machine will be distributed by A24, marking Johson’s A24 debut and a return to the distributor for Safdie. In addition to Johson, the film’s cast includes Emily Blunt and Lyndsey Gavin.
The Smashing Machine
will be Benny Safdie’s first movie since his official creative split with brother Josh Safdie.
Now, a new video for The Smashing Machine shows Johnson training for the upcoming film. The video shows Johnson wearing workout clothes and standing in a boxing ring. He is seen practicing punching and wrestling with a trainer. Johnson also blocks punches at several points in the training video.
In the caption for the post, Johnson reveals that this is “Day 1. MMA Training Camp. Preparing for ‘Smashing Machine.’” He called this training regime “a very humbling, intense and motivating journey.” He says that in order to play Mark Kerr, he will have to “work harder for this role” than ever before. He also mentioned that “the physicality,” as displayed in the training video, “is just one part of the larger journey.” He concluded the post with a plug for Smashing Machine.
Dwayne Johnson’s The Smashing Machine Character Explained
In The Smashing Machine, Johnson will play real-life former MMA fighter Mark Kerr. Kerr is a former MMA fighter and two-time UFC heavyweight champion. The height of Kerr’s career was in the 1990s and early 2000s. In addition to the upcoming A24 movie, Kerr was also the subject of a 2002 HBO documentary that was also called The Smashing Machine.
It is interesting for Johnson to call this role his hardest yet, because in many ways, it would seem that Johnson would be the perfect fit for the role in The Smashing Machine. After all, the actor first became known to the media as a WWE wrestler. Thus, when Johnson is training for the role, said training is not completely foreign to him. He has had some similar lived experiences to his character, and he has the training background to account for it too.
In other ways, though, The Smashing Machine is a bit of a stretch for Johnson. The Smashing Machine will be a drama, a genre with which Johnson is far less accustomed. The bulk of Johnson’s roles have been in action films and comedies, and while this acting experience is vast, it requires a different skill set than that of The Smashing Machine. Hopefully, Johnson will be able pull it off as he makes his A24 debut with The Smashing Machine.
Source: The Rock / Instagram
The Smashing Machine
The Smashing Machine is a biographical sports drama by director Benny Safdie. Dwayne Johnson stars as MMA fighter Mark Kerr and will explore his life and career in the mixed martial arts circuit.
- Director
- Benny Safdie
- Studio(s)
- Seven Bucks Productions , Out for the Count
- Distributor(s)
- A24
