The Rock Is a Totally Different Man in <em>The Smashing Machine</em> Trailer

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has done it all. He’s won the WWE Royal Rumble, survived the Jungle Cruise, and “put in the hours” on a song with rapper Tech N9ne. Now, Johnson is stepping through the WWE ropes and entering the UFC octagon. Not as a competitor, but as an actor.

The Rock will star as UFC fighter Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine, an upcoming A24 film directed by Benny Safdie. Kerr is a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion whose vault to the top was just as high as his lows. Kerr also struggled with substance abuse and a fraught relationship with his then-girlfriend, Dawn Staples. His life was previously documented in the HBO special, The Smashing Machine, which serves as the basis for Safdie’s upcoming film.

According to Variety, Johnson purchased the rights to Kerr’s story back in 2019 and Safdie agreed to direct. The pandemic delayed pre-production for a bit until Oppenheimer in 2023, when Emily Blunt told Safdie that her Jungle Cruise co-star was still keen on telling Kerr’s story. Blunt stars in the film as Kerr’s girlfriend, Staples.

In a new trailer for the film (above), Johnson pummels his way to the top and jokes about Kerr's struggles with pain medication. "They're giving them away like candy," he says. The clip also previews Kerr's tenuous relationship with Mark Coleman, his longtime friend and rival competitor. The film is due out later this year on October 3.

“Benny wants to create and continues to push the envelope when it comes to stories that are raw and real, characters that are authentic and at times uncomfortable and arresting,” Johnson told Variety last January. “I’m at a point in my career where I want to push myself in ways that I’ve not pushed myself in the past. I’m at a point in my career where I want to make films that matter, that explore a humanity and explore struggle [and] pain.”