Dwayne Johnson Sparks Oscar Buzz With ‘The Smashing Machine’ at Venice/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ morning Edition/ Dwayne Johnson shocked critics at the Venice Film Festival with his raw portrayal of UFC legend Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine. Directed by Benny Safdie and co-starring Emily Blunt, the film explores Kerr’s career and personal struggles with addiction. The performance has sparked immediate Oscar buzz for Johnson, known more for action blockbusters than serious drama.
Dwayne Johnson Oscar Buzz Quick Looks
- The Smashing Machine premieres at Venice Film Festival in main competition
- Johnson plays UFC fighter Mark Kerr, known for battling opioid addiction
- Actor embraced prosthetics designed by Oscar-winner Kazu Hiro
- Emily Blunt plays Kerr’s partner in volatile late-1990s relationship
- Johnson says he wanted to prove more to himself, not Hollywood
- Safdie calls film “a perfect onomatopoeia of destruction and domination”
- Venice director Alberto Barbera predicts possible Oscar nominations for Johnson and Blunt
- Film produced by A24, distributor of past Oscar winners The Whale and Uncut Gems
- Johnson describes role as his most “intense and raw” yet
- The Smashing Machine opens in North America on October 3
Dwayne Johnson Sparks Oscar Buzz With ‘The Smashing Machine’ at Venice
Deep Look
VENICE, Italy — Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has entered new cinematic territory — and possibly the awards race — with his dramatic turn in The Smashing Machine, which premiered Monday at the Venice Film Festival.
Directed by Benny Safdie, the biographical drama stars Johnson as Mark Kerr, the two-time UFC heavyweight champion whose career in the late 1990s was marred by opioid addiction and personal turmoil. The project represents a dramatic pivot for Johnson, whose career has largely been defined by action spectacles like Fast & Furious and family comedies like Jumanji.
“I’ve been very fortunate in my career,” Johnson said before the premiere. “But there was always this little voice inside me, asking: what if I can do more?”
From Blockbuster Star to Serious Actor
Johnson admitted he has often felt pigeonholed into a lane defined by box office appeal.
“The box office is very loud,” he said. “Hollywood pushes you into categories. This is your lane, this is what you do.”
But with encouragement from longtime friend and co-star Emily Blunt, Johnson took the leap into one of the darkest and most demanding roles of his career. “Sometimes it takes people you love, like Emily and Benny, to say, ‘You can do this,’” he said.
Blunt, who portrays Kerr’s partner Dawn Staples, said she was fascinated by the chance to depict a relationship with “the full weather system of human change,” rather than the simplified romances often seen onscreen.
A Real-Life Inspiration
Kerr himself joined Johnson, Safdie, and Blunt on the Venice red carpet. Known by his moniker “The Smashing Machine,” Kerr was admired as a ferocious fighter but struggled behind the scenes with substance abuse, overdosing twice before retiring in 2009.
Johnson recalled meeting Kerr in the 1990s while still a wrestler. “I looked up to him then,” he said. “To be able to tell his story now feels like a full-circle moment.”
Transformation Through Prosthetics
For the role, Johnson worked with prosthetic master Kazu Hiro, the Oscar-winning artist who transformed Bradley Cooper into Leonard Bernstein in Maestro and Gary Oldman into Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. Blunt described the effect as “extraordinary and a little spooky,” saying Johnson fully disappeared into Kerr.
Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera praised Johnson’s performance as “absolutely amazing,” adding that he wouldn’t be surprised if both Johnson and Blunt landed Oscar nominations next year.
Safdie’s Vision
Benny Safdie, known for Uncut Gems (co-directed with brother Josh) and his recent acting roles in Oppenheimer and Happy Gilmore 2, helmed the film solo. In his director’s statement, Safdie described the title as “a perfect onomatopoeia, conjuring images of domination and destruction with ease.”
“The Smashing Machine is not only about fighting,” Safdie said. “It’s about addiction, relationships, and the high cost of pursuing greatness.”
Awards Buzz and Release
Venice has long been a launchpad for awards contenders. Recent Best Actor winners, including Brendan Fraser in The Whale and Adrien Brody in The Brutalist, had their buzz begin here. Like those films, The Smashing Machine is distributed by A24, which has developed a reputation for guiding unconventional stories to the Oscars.
The film competes for Venice’s Golden Lion alongside Frankenstein, Bugonia, La Grazia, and The Voice of Hind Rajab. Winners will be announced on Sept. 6.
North American audiences won’t have to wait long. The Smashing Machine opens in theaters on Oct. 3, setting the stage for a potential awards season run.
“I’ve been scared to go deep and raw until now,” Johnson said. “This was the right time, the right story, and the right people.”
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