The Rock swaps wrestling for UFC in fantastic first trailer for The Smashing Machine
The Rock’s back in the ring...
The Rock is just as much a corner stone of culture as he is a Rock. Between his wrestling days, tequila making, and of course fighting his way through pretty much every Hollywood action movie from the last decade, he's a pretty recognisable guy. From playing Santa’s bodyguard in Red One, DC's Black Adam, to Maui in Moana you cannot say the man doesn’t have (some) range, as well as being a great fallback Halloween outfit.
Now, he’s back in the ring, taking on the brutal true story in the biopic about trailblazing UFC star Mark Kerr. The trailer for his film The Smashing Machine offers the first glimpse of an almost unrecognisable Dwayne The Rock Johnson as he transforms into the UFC legend.
From the looks of the trailer, they’re not only sticking closely to the story, but are going to great lengths to keep The Rock resembling the UFC champ, donning facial prosthetics and some seriously impressive makeup.
The film is from A24 studios, and has been written and directed by Uncut Gems co-director Benny Safdie. It is based on John Hyams’s documentary from 2002 about Kerr - also titled The Smashing Machine.
The Rock will be joined by Emily Blunt who plays his on-screen girlfriend (and later wife) Dawn.
Kerr (the real one, not The Rock) was born in Ohio in 1968 and was interested in fighting at the World Wrestling Federation from a young age. He officially started his career aged 15 whilst still in high school. He competed in the Wrestling World Cup and World Championship, but narrowly missed out on the chance to compete at the Olympics in 1996. This was when he started exploring mixed martial arts (MMA). His first competitive MMA fight was in 1997, which he won by defeating three successive opponents.
You can sort of imagine how he achieved his nickname — The Smashing Machine — but it’s fair to say that he obliterated anyone who stood in his way. Kerr also competed in UFC way back in its infant days when it was first getting started, as well as international fighting competitions, so the film will likely have plenty of different kinds of action.
The trailer suggests the film is going to show both the highs and lows of Kerr's career; it opens with a memorable moment from Kerr’s career when he was in a waiting room ahead of a medical examination. He talks to an older woman who is also waiting. The pair talk about how he sustained his injuries, triggering a debate about the violent nature of UFC fights.
The documentary could also explore Kerr’s addiction to painkillers following his constant injuries sustained during PRIDE Fighting Championships.
The Smashing Machine is set for a cinema release on 3 October — if the trailer is anything to go by, expect this one to feature in next year's Oscars.