Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt attended a special screening of The Smashing Machine in London, ahead of the film’s nationwide release on 3 October. The drama, already generating early awards season discussion, tells the story of Mark Kerr, a world champion wrestler who became one of the first stars of mixed martial arts.
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Nicknamed “The Smashing Machine” for his uncompromising style in the cage, Kerr’s rise to prominence was overshadowed by addiction to painkillers and the strain it placed on his personal life. Johnson portrays Kerr in what critics have described as the most transformative performance of his career, while Blunt plays his partner, Dawn Staples. The film is directed by Benny Safdie, known for Uncut Gems, with a supporting cast that includes Lyndsey Gavin, Oleksandr Usyk, Ryan Bader, Justin Gordon and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje.
The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month, where it was met with a 15-minute standing ovation and earned Safdie the Silver Lion for best director. Johnson’s performance was praised by Variety as “a revelation”, while The Hollywood Reporter described the drama as “gritty and downbeat” yet driven by his compelling portrayal. Reports suggest Johnson underwent a significant physical transformation for the role, losing weight, training with MMA experts and using prosthetics to capture Kerr’s likeness.
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Johnson has described the part as his most vulnerable and demanding to date, a sharp departure from the large-scale action films that made him one of Hollywood’s highest-grossing stars. The London screening marked the film’s UK debut, with both Johnson and Blunt leading the arrivals, and has added further momentum to a project widely tipped as a potential contender in the upcoming awards season.
