Smashing Machine Wins Venice Buzz, Underperforms

Dwayne Johnson’s drama The Smashing Machine, directed by Benny Safdie and co-starring Emily Blunt, dramatizes MMA legend Mark Kerr’s struggles with addiction, fame and a rocky marriage and earned strong festival buzz at Venice, including emotional reactions from Safdie and Kerr. Critics praised Johnson’s physical transformation and vulnerable performance, generating early Oscar talk. The film opened this weekend to just $6 million from 3,345 theaters — the lowest debut of Johnson’s career and well below studio projections of about $8–20 million — and finished behind Taylor Swift’s concert movie (≈$33 million) and Leonardo DiCaprio’s film ($10.3 million). With a roughly $50 million production budget plus marketing, the weak box office raises doubts about the film’s path to profitability even as it elevates Johnson’s dramatic profile.