Dwayne Johnson says he spent years avoiding parts that demanded deep vulnerability and only confronted that fear when he agreed to play UFC champion Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine. In a new interview, he describes feeling “really scared” by the role and credits a trusted creative partnership with his co-star for helping him access a more exposed register. He also recalls hours in the makeup chair and a dozen-plus prosthetic pieces to remake his face and posture, framing the transformation as essential to disappearing into Kerr.
The drama is written and directed by Benny Safdie and will premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival on September 1 before opening in U.S. theaters on October 3 via A24. The release sets Johnson’s performance on a high-profile fall runway, with the festival slot positioning the film among the season’s contenders.
Drawn from the 2002 documentary about Kerr, the film focuses less on sports triumph and more on the fighter’s private battles, including addiction and a volatile relationship. Emily Blunt plays Dawn Staples, whose point of view the creative team aimed to render with greater balance than earlier depictions; Johnson has said their offscreen friendship built the trust required for the most difficult scenes. The production leaned on intimate camerawork and extended makeup work, which Johnson called both unnerving and liberating.
Johnson’s connection to the story has extended beyond the set. In July he helped induct Kerr into the UFC Hall of Fame, highlighting the fighter’s dominance and the toll of life outside the cage—context that mirrors the film’s themes and reinforces its emphasis on the person behind the persona. The studio’s listing confirms the October 3 date and the restrained, character-first framing that marks a sharp pivot from the star’s standard action mold.
