Key Points
Rock transforms into UFC champion Mark Kerr in intense biopic
Film explores brutal early UFC years and personal challenges
Benny Safdie directs with Emily Blunt co-starring
Based on acclaimed 2003 HBO documentary
The film, directed by Benny Safdie, is set to bring the life story of MMA legend Mark Kerr to the big screen.
According to Deadline, the announcement follows reports that Lionsgate's Michael Jackson biopic is reconsidering its release strategy and may delay its debut.
With 'The Smashing Machine' stepping into that slot, it will now compete at the box office against two other big films--Paramount's Roofman, starring Channing Tatum, and Neon's horror film The Keeper, directed by Oz Perkins.
Safdie not only directed but also wrote and produced the film. The Smashing Machine reunites Johnson with Emily Blunt, his co-star from Jungle Cruise. Blunt plays Dawn Staples, Kerr's girlfriend, who struggles to navigate the highs and lows of his unpredictable life as an elite fighter.
The movie follows Kerr at the height of his career, during the brutal early years of the UFC. It revolves around his battles inside the cage and the personal demons he faced outside of it.
https://x.com/A24/status/1792903293892497411
Kerr's accomplishments in the sport are legendary--he was a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion, a Pride FC champion, and a dominant force in submission wrestling. According to Deadline, his story was previously told in the 2003 HBO documentary The Smashing Machine, which inspired the upcoming film.
Produced by Safdie's Out for the Count, alongside Johnson's Seven Bucks Productions and other producers, the film promises to deliver a gripping and emotional look at one of MMA's most fascinating figures.
