Dwayne Johnson made his Venice Film Festival debut with The Smashing Machine, joined by co-star Emily Blunt and director Benny Safdie, marking Safdie’s first solo directorial effort. The film, premiering in competition, explores the turbulent life of Mark Kerr, a legendary fighter from the no-holds-barred era of 1990s UFC, as he grapples with fame, relationships, and self-identity.
Johnson, who portrays Kerr, emphasized how the role allowed him to break free from his blockbuster image: “In Hollywood, it becomes about box office… but I had this burning desire to ask myself, what if there is more?” He credited both Blunt and Safdie for encouraging him to pursue this more dramatically challenging role.
The film delves into Kerr’s relationship with his girlfriend, Dawn Staples (played by Blunt), capturing the emotional intensity behind the scenes of the MMA world. Blunt described the role as “a full spectrum of what a relationship really looks like,” noting the regrets, eruptions, and profound devotion that defined Dawn and Kerr’s bond. She added that working with Safdie’s visceral, spontaneous style created an unfiltered and raw experience on set.
Director Benny Safdie explained his interest in MMA’s formative years: “It was such an experimental period, with all these martial arts colliding. The contradiction between the violent fighting and the love within the community was something beautiful I wanted to explore.”
Kerr’s decorated career is legendary—he was a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion, Pride FC champion, NCAA national wrestling champion, and more. His story was previously chronicled in the 2003 HBO documentary The Smashing Machine. This feature adaptation aims to expand beyond the ring, examining the chaotic personal struggles behind the athlete’s rise.
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Produced by Seven Bucks Productions (Johnson, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia) and Safdie’s Out for the Count, alongside David Koplan and Eli Bush, the cast also includes Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten, and Oleksandr Usyk. A24 will release The Smashing Machine theatrically on October 3, 2025.
With its mix of intense fight realism and deep human drama, The Smashing Machine positions Johnson for one of the boldest performances of his career, while further solidifying Safdie as one of cinema’s most daring storytellers.
