It will be an understatement to say Dwayne Johnson is unrecognisable in the first trailer for The Smashing Machine. The actor has undergone a tremendous transformation to play UFC champion Mark Kerr in a film about his life, his struggles with addiction, love and friendship. Benny Safdie, popular for directing Uncut Gems and Good Time, has written and directed the film which is slated to release in theatres on October 3.
A large part of the trailer, which was shared by A24, revolved around his rise inside ring, and his laurels in MMA championships.
Emily Blunt will be seen playing Kerr's wife Dawn Staples. She pairs up with her Jungle Cruise co-star in this film and also teams up with him for the Disney film's sequel. They are set to reteam for Martin Scorsese's Hawaiian crime thriller with Leonardo DiCaprio. Bas Rutten, Lyndsey Gavin and World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Oleksandr Usyk play supporting roles in Safdie's upcoming film. Apart from Kerr's glorious victories, The Smashing Machine also puts the spotlight on his extremely low moments and strained relationship with girlfriend and trainers. In 2002, Kerr was the subject of an HBO documentary also titled The Smashing Machine.
Kerr has won above two dozen MMA titles, including a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Championship and World Vale Tudo Championship.
Safdie will also produce the film under the Out for the Count banner alongside Eli Bush and David Koplan, with Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia's Seven Bucks Production.