Last month, it was announced that Dwayne Johnson would star in the A24-produced “The Smashing Machine,” which would be directed by Benny Safdie (“The Curse”). This news turned heads, mostly because we did not expect Johnson to ever sign up for an arthouse indie.
Johnson told Variety that he’s at a point “where I want to make films that matter, that explore humanity, struggle and pain […] I’m at this point where I want more. I don’t mean I want more box office. I mean I want more humanity.” Good for him.
There’s now a casting update. Emily Blunt is reportedly in talks to co-star with Johnson, via The InSneider. This news comes after Johnson revealed that it was Blunt who persuaded him to take on the project.
“The Smashing Machine” will be a reunion of sorts for Johnson and Blunt, they both starred in 2021’s “The Jungle Cruise” and have remained friends ever since. There’s no set date for production to begin, but don’t be surprised if this one starts shooting very soon. Sneider’s report goes on to add that this is being seen as a potential Oscar vehicle for both Blunt and Johnson.
This will be Benny’s solo directing debut — a biopic based on the life of MMA fighter Mark Kerr. Kerr’s career peaked during the “no-holds-barred era of the UFC,” in the early 2000s. Kerr’s life sounds like it could be prime material for Safdie’s brand of visceral cinema.
Originally a college wrestler, Kerr went on to become one of the most bruising and punishing fighters in MMA history, all in the while fighting a severe addiction to opioids and having his partner, Dawn, become an alcoholic. In 1999, he overdosed and was hospitalized. His fight to stay sober and continue fighting would mark the rest of his career.
I’ve always said that, with the right script, Johnson can be a good actor. Beyond the muscular physique, he’s got the chops to pull it off. It’s always been a disservice to him to have the public believe that he can’t act — the problem is that he’s being stereotyped to play the same character in every action movie he’s starred in.
His best work still remains his turn as the psychotic, coked out bodybuilder in Michael Bay’s “Pain and Gain,” a total guilty pleasure set in the dark underworld of Miami bodybuilding. It’s easily his best performance. I also thought Johnson was hilarious with the 10 minutes of screentime he was given in “The Other Guys.”