Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson gives an emotional speech at the world premiere of The Smashing Machine at the 2025 Venice Film Festival. This was clearly a monumental moment for Johnson, as the pro-wrestler turned movie star made another turning point in his career. The actor, known for action blockbusters and trading barbs with Kevin Hart, delivers a performance in the A24 $40 million feature that is rumored to have “Oscar potential”.
Johnson spoke of making this dramatic turn in his acting at the premiere, saying, “This transformation was something I was really hungry to do…I had been very fortunate to have the career that I’ve had over the years and to make the films that I’ve made, but there was just a voice inside of me, a little voice that said, ‘Well, what if I could do more – I want to do more, and what does that look like?”
The Smashing Machine was written and directed by Benny Safdie, known for directing films like Good Time and Uncut Gems with his brother Josh, and is led by Johnson as Mark Kerr, a two-time UFC heavyweight champion and MMA champion. The film is inspired by Kerr’s actual career and centers around his “meteoric rise in the no-holds-barred era of 1990s MMA and the personal demons he battled outside the ring,” specifically his struggle with a painkiller addiction. Emily Blunt also stars as Kerr’s wife, Dawn Stanley, having worked with Johnson once before on Disney’s Jungle Cruise.
Johnson spoke on how pivotal Blunt as well as Safdie, in helping him make this big decision in his career. He explained, “I’ve been very close with Emily and shared a lot of everything that I’ve gone through, and she said, ‘That place is what you love to do, which is acting – and you have me — so let’s do this together. And then Benny was on the other side of that, saying, Hey, I got you both, and let’s go for it. So that transformation could not have happened without my best friend being there to support and encourage me.”
Johnson further commented, “A lot of times it’s harder for us — or at least for me, sometimes – to know what you’re capable of when you’ve been pigeon-holed…. And sometimes it takes people who you love and you respect, like Emily and Benny, to say you can.”
Johnson discussed Kerr’s personal struggles in his speech, becoming emotional while saying, “Mark was the greatest fighter in the world at one point, but this film is not even really about fighting — it’s a love story…It’s a love story about Mark and Dawn in this relationship, and it’s a love story about Mark and the love that he had for the thing that he did – his struggle with trying to deliver, his challenges and his overcoming. As you know, Mark ODd twice, and he’s lucky to be alive — and that’s part of why this story is so special.”
Attending the premiere was ScreenRant’s Jack Walters, who commented that the film, “may not be as ambitious or groundbreaking as Benny Safdie’s previous works, but it does an effective job of giving a voice to UFC pioneer Mark Kerr, with all his flaws and strengths alike.” Adding, “The film takes a fairly pedestrian approach to storytelling, lacking the bite and grit that many would expect from the Uncut Gems director.”
The Smashing Machine is set to release in U.S. theaters on October 3rd.
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