'The Smashing Machine': Everything To Know

There are two movies called The Smashing Machine. The first is the 2002 documentary about Mark Kerr, former wrestler and mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter. Dwayne Johnson saw the film and as somebody with a well-known wrestling background, the movie stuck with him. After seeing 2019’s Uncut Gems, Johnson got in touch with co-director Benny Safdie to discuss making a movie about Kerr.

Eventually, they made it happen, and that’s the second movie called The Smashing Machine, which is out soon. The upcoming film sees Johnson reunite with his Jungle Cruise co-star Emily Blunt.

Ahead of the the movie’s release, keep reading for everything you need to know before it comes to theaters.

Plot

The movie tells the story of Mark Kerr. The original documentary focuses on his MMA career and the ups and downs of his personal life, and the new film covers those topics, too.

Safdie told Vanity Fair of Kerr:

“This guy appeared to be so strong and yet was dealing with so much physical and mental stuff. How do you empathize with somebody who looks like they’re invincible? That was the goal for me.”

Johnson added, “What a walking contradiction in the most beautiful way Mark was and still is. Soft-spoken, sweet, kind — yet at one time the most lethal man on the planet.”

Cast

The film stars Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten, and Oleksandr Usyk.

Johnson said to Vanity Fair of working with his extensive prosthetics:

“I just sat in front of that mirror for three to four hours and watched it all change. There were about 13 or 14 different prosthetics. Subtle, yet I think very impactful. By the time I got to set, I was Mark Kerr and I felt it, from how he walked to how he talked and how he looked at life.”

He added of partnering with Blunt, “If Emily and I weren’t best friends, I don’t know that we could’ve gone to the places we went to. That closeness created the trust, which then allowed for the vulnerability, which then allowed for [us to] go anywhere.”