Dwayne Johnson Steps into the Cage as Mark Kerr
The face you know as The Rock has a whole new look in Benny Safdie’s solo directorial debut, The Smashing Machine. A24 dropped the intense first trailer, and it’s clear this won’t be your typical sports biopic. Dwayne Johnson, nearly unrecognizable with prosthetics and a wig, morphs into Mark Kerr—the hard-hitting UFC legend whose battles didn’t end when the cage door slammed shut. Emily Blunt joins the ride as Dawn Staples, Kerr’s wife, bringing some familiar chemistry from their last team-up in Jungle Cruise.
Kerr’s not just fighting opponents in the ring. The trailer cuts between bruising, bloodied MMA brawls and raw, vulnerable moments out of the octagon. Johnson’s voiceover sets the scene: “Winning is the best feeling there is. It’s 40,000 people cheering you on.” But as the footage shifts, it’s clear the strongest blows sometimes come from addiction and personal demons, not a swinging fist. The film dives straight into those scars and struggles—not just the physical ones, but the emotional hits Kerr took on his bumpy road through glory and pain.
Benny Safdie’s Solo Directorial Debut Raises Expectations
Benny Safdie, fresh off his high-energy collaborations on Uncut Gems and Good Time, is calling all the shots this time out—writing, directing, and even editing. The Safdie brand is all about mounting tension and gritty realism, so expect nothing less in The Smashing Machine. The trailer traces Johnson’s intense prep, and he looks the part: battered, bulked up, and buried under a tough emotional exterior. This isn’t just a sweaty training montage; it’s a look at what haunts the men who seem larger than life.
The movie’s not just for MMA diehards. It peels back the layers on the cost of being a champion when everyone’s watching—and when no one is. Blunt brings her own punch to the story, adding emotional gravity as she navigates the rollercoaster of loving someone battling both the world and himself.
There’s more brewing between Johnson and Blunt off-screen, too. They’re set to join forces again, this time with Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio in a big-time crime thriller. But for now, the spotlight is on The Smashing Machine. The film lands later this year, just as the fight world and movie fans are asking: how far can you go before you break?