Dwayne Johnson To Star In Potentially Career-Changing MMA Biopic From A24 And Benny Safdie
Somebody must've heard that we were collectively placing Dave Bautista and John Cena at the top of all our wrestlers-turned-actors rankings, because Dwayne Johnson has just lined up his next major role — and it's the furthest thing possible from vanity projects like "Fast and the Furious" or "Black Adam."
For years, The Rock has focused on steadily building up his brand name (I just referred to him as The Rock unironically, for crying out loud) as opposed to picking the most interesting or challenging acting gigs, but that finally seems to be changing in a big way. The Hollywood Reporter has new details on a mixed martial arts drama called "The Smashing Machine." That subject matter obviously feels right up the movie star's alley, but it's the talent involved in the director's chair that changes the equation quite a bit. After guiding Robert Pattinson to one of his best performances in "Good Time" and reminding everybody with "Uncut Gems" that few performers on earth are as watchable as a fully-committed Adam Sandler, Benny Safdie will make his solo directing debut as he attempts to work the same magic on Johnson.
The movie follows the real-life story of fighter Mark Kerr, a UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion nicknamed "The Smashing Machine" whose exploits inside the ring are only rivaled by his troubled life and well-documented struggles with drug addiction. (In fact, THR points out that he was the subject of an HBO documentary back in 2002 also titled "The Smashing Machine.") Indie studio A24 will finance and distribute this buzzy flick, which presumably comes from a script by Safdie, as well.
This is how we win
Even with only one-half of the talented directing duo, everything about Dwayne Johnson teaming up with Benny Safdie on "The Smashing Machine" simply feels right. Although many fans will be quick to point out that professional wrestling and MMA fighting are, in fact, two completely different things, one can easily understand the appeal of Johnson returning to his roots (so to speak) after dipping his toes in the water with the wrestling-themed "Fighting with My Family" in 2019. As for Safdie, he could certainly do a lot worse than following the Coen brothers' route of working together with his sibling on multiple well-received and critically acclaimed films before striking out on his own to stretch his wings a bit. It helps quite a lot that the Safdies have gained a quick reputation of getting the absolute most out of their idiosyncratic and brand-name actors, as well.
A24 is clearly feeling bullish on this production, as executive Noah Sacco released the following statement about the news:
"Dwayne and Benny are singular talents, and their shared vision for Mark's inspiring story is electrifying. We are deeply honored to have their trust as collaborators in bringing this incredibly special project to life."
Johnson still has "Red Notice 2" on his docket, along with the next "Fast" movie after "Fast X" teased his improbable return, so it may be a little while before "The Smashing Machine" makes its way to theaters. Meanwhile, Safdie has stayed busy working on the Emma Stone/Nathan Fielder-starring Showtime series "The Curse" while also starring in "Oppenheimer," "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.," and the Disney+ series "Obi-Wan Kenobi."