Dwayne Johnson's Transformation For The Smashing Machine Leaves Fans Impressed
Dwayne Johnson appears quite unrecognisable as renowned two-time UFC heavyweight champion Mark Kerr.
Dwayne Johnson's highly anticipated biography, The Smashing Machine, has released its first trailer. While the trailer has created a lot of buzz, fans are astonished by the actor's drastic on-screen transformation. Dwayne Johnson appears quite unrecognisable as renowned two-time UFC heavyweight champion Mark Kerr. The teaser depicts Kerr's tremendous highs and devastating lows in his career as well as his personal troubles outside the ring.
The trailer opens with a bruised Dwayne as Mark sitting in a doctor's clinic with puffy eyes. The video transitions to ring flashbacks and vicious beatdowns, with Mark asking, 'Have you heard of the Ultimate Fighting Championship? The UFC?" The teaser also gives a summary of the film's plot, as Mark explores his life as a UFC fighter while navigating his relationship with Dawn (Emily Blunt). The trailer implies that the film would also address Mark's struggles with opioid addiction.
Dwayne's fans are amazed by his drastic makeover for the production. They're eagerly waiting for the release and took to the comments section to express their delight. One of them wrote, 'You know it's not just the physical transformation, it sounds like Dwayne is trying a different cadence in his voice, a different delivery, than what he's done for most of his other movies," while another stated, 'It's a unique compliment for the Rock when no one recognises him in a film. I'm glad he challenged himself for this role. He is phenomenal in this trailer and I can't wait to see it." A fan also noted, 'the prostheses in the nose and brow are so subtle and yet he really does look like another person – and the body transformation, too."
Mark Kerr was a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion and four-time ADCC World Champion, and was one of the most well-known MMA fighters in the late 1990s. The Smashing Machine will look at both his domination in the cage and his psychological troubles, which were first covered in a 2002 HBO documentary. The film is expected to release on October 3.
First Published:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
22 minutes ago
- India Today
New Weasley siblings join Harry Potter series, Ginny played by Gracie Cochrane
As filming continues in full swing at Warner Bros Studios in Leavesden, England, HBO's ambitious reboot of the 'Harry Potter' franchise is slowly unveiling its magical cast, and now, the Weasley family is coming into sharper newcomers Tristan and Gabriel Harland have been cast as the mischievous Fred and George Weasley, while Ruari Spooner will take on the role of Percy Weasley. Gracie Cochrane has stepped into the shoes of Ginny Weasley. The announcement was made alongside an official photo of the on-screen siblings, joined by Alastair Stout, who plays Ron, all sharing a cosy in Romania at the moment but will be joining us soon enough' read the caption on HBO's Instagram post, referencing the dragon-loving second-eldest Weasley, who, according to the books, relocated to Romania post-Hogwarts. Casting for Bill Weasley, portrayed by Domhnall Gleeson in the original films, has yet to be a look at the new cast: (Credit: Instagram/hbomax) The buzz began earlier this year when HBO shared the first look of Dominic McLaughlin, the young actor chosen to portray Harry Potter himself. Shortly after, a bearded Nick Frost was introduced as the half-giant Hagrid. Rounding out the iconic trio, Arabella Stanton has been confirmed as Hermione Granger. The trio was selected from over 30,000 hopefuls in a rigorous casting process last ensemble cast boasts an impressive mix of British and international talent. John Lithgow will take on the legendary role of Albus Dumbledore, with Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, and Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley. Other notable additions include Lox Pratt (Draco Malfoy), Johnny Flynn (Lucius Malfoy), Rory Wilmot (Neville Longbottom), Louise Brealey (Madam Hooch), and Anton Lesser (Garrick Ollivander), among for Season 1 is expected to wrap by spring 2026, with production on Season 2 set to begin shortly thereafter. Each of JK Rowling's seven beloved books will be adapted into a dedicated season, promising a more in-depth retelling than the original series is scheduled to premiere in 2027 on HBO and streaming platform HBO Max. The project is helmed by Francesca Gardiner from 'His Dark Materials', and 'Killing Eve' as showrunner and writer, with Mark Mylod from 'Succession' in the director's chair. Executive producers include Rowling herself, Neil Blair, Ruth Kenley-Letts of Bronte Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday by Warner Bros. Television and produced in association with Bronte Film and TV, HBO's 'Harry Potter' series is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated TV events of the decade.- Ends
Indian Express
34 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘Harry Potter' and Franchise Fatigue: Why the magic fades when it never ends
The wizarding world has come calling once again. HBO just dropped the first glimpse of its Harry Potter reboot. Instead of Daniel Radcliffe, a new 11-year-old Harry (Dominic McLaughlin) in round glasses was spotted striding alongside Nick Frost's towering Hagrid at Warner Bros Studios in Leavesden. Predictably, the images went viral and nostalgia kicked in. But alongside the excitement, fatigue also crept in. Not just for me, but for a generation of Potterheads who have been riding this broomstick for nearly three decades. For many, Harry Potter ended in 2007 with Deathly Hallows, the final novel in the series. That was the story. Seven books, eight films, one cultural juggernaut. Everything since has been extra material, sometimes charming, often exhausting, and occasionally embarrassing. Take The Cursed Child (2016), which was touted as the 'eighth story,' but landed on stage and page as poorly written fanfiction. Time-turner plot holes, flimsy arcs, and melodrama, which had even the most devoted fans muttering, 'This is not canon. This does not count.' Then came Fantastic Beasts, a would-be cinematic franchise that sputtered out under messy scripts and aimless plotting. What should have been a deeper dive into wizarding lore instead felt like a corporate cash grab wrapped in CGI. By the time the third film limped into theaters, most of us had already checked out. Even Hogwarts Legacy, the open-world video game that would have been groundbreaking a decade ago, arrived in 2023 into a very different climate. Instead of feeling like a fresh immersion into the wizarding world, it landed against the backdrop of J K Rowling's controversies and long-simmering franchise fatigue. But fatigue is not only about saturation; it is also about lack of reinvention. With each revival, audiences are confronted with recycled plots and the same flaws embedded in the original work. The house elf subplot, treated as comic relief, now reads as a dismissive handling of slavery. Slytherin, a school house that functions as a factory for fascists, was never interrogated as a system, only used as shorthand for 'evil.' Disease-carrying werewolves have been read as metaphors for the AIDS epidemic, goblins as personifications of anti-Semitic traits, and multiple attempts to make sense of the wizard economy have come to naught. These flaws were always embedded in the text, but largely invisible to young readers caught up in the narrative. They are simply harder to ignore with each retelling with fresh faces, but the same plot. Revisiting them now, especially under the shadow of Rowling's public persona, they are impossible to ignore. What stands out is how little has been done with them. The author herself had opportunities, through spinoffs, interviews, and endless post-book revelations, to refine or deepen her world. Instead, the interventions (retroactive identities, shallow retcons, and half-explanations) only made the foundations shakier, revealing how thin the scaffolding had been all along. This is where the fatigue truly sets in. Meanwhile, fanfiction communities thrived. From Dramione to Snarry to every improbable pairing in between, online writers built parallel canons that often felt more daring, diverse, and emotionally rich than the 'official' material. In many ways, fanfiction became the real site of creative expansion, while the licensed stories circled back on themselves. What the studio treated as an inexhaustible brand, fans treated as an open playground, and their imagination frequently outshone the sanctioned output. Unlike The Lord of the Rings, which retains its sense of specialness precisely because J R R Tolkien's world was built on depth and coherence, Harry Potter was constructed more like a stage set, convincing enough for the story, but never meant to be inhabited beyond it. Tolkien's world could support layers of history, language, and myth without collapsing, which is why every adaptation feels anchored in something solid. Rowling's, by contrast, buckles when pressed, because the details were never designed to bear that kind of weight. Or take Star Wars, another franchise of immense cultural reach. For all its missteps, it survives because it continually reinvents itself through new timelines, new characters, new forms of storytelling. Sometimes it fails, sometimes it surprises, but it moves. Harry Potter has remained static, circling the same story with different packaging. What was once expansive now feels claustrophobic. So Harry Potter persists, but in a diminished form. Each new project feels less like a spark of magic and more like the mechanical turning of a money-making wand. For a story that once made millions believe in magic, that kind of exhaustion is fatal. When I see that leaked set photo of Harry and Hagrid, my heart still stirs, but only for a moment, a reminder of something we used to love. Sometimes, the most magical thing a story can do is end.
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Time of India
'Harry Potter' series makers unveil the Weasley siblings: Ginny, Percy and twins Fred-George
'Harry Potter' series makers unveil the Weasley siblings: Ginny, Percy and twins Fred-George The makers of the upcoming HBO 'Harry Potter' series on Tuesday unveiled the young actors set to play the iconic Weasley siblings, adding to the growing anticipation around the show. With the shooting for the series now in full swing, the latest additions have added to the growing buzz. On Tuesday, HBO Max shared an official picture of the Weasley siblings, confirming the young actors who will step into the shoes of the iconic characters. While Alastair Stout has already been roped in to play Ron Weasley, Tristan Harland and Gabriel Harland will be seen as the mischievous twins, Fred and George, Ruari Spooner will play Percy Weasley, and Gracie Cochrane will be seen as Ginny Weasley. Sharing the update on Instagram, the makers wrote, "The Burrow is nearly full," welcoming the new cast members. The role of the Weasley matriarch, Molly Weasley, will be essayed by Katherine Parkinson . However, the actor for Arthur Weasley is yet to be announced. Additionally, casting for the eldest brother, Charlie Weasley, remains unknown. It is worth mentioning that the Weasleys have been an integral part of the books and the original films. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo While Fred, George, and Percy have been seen throughout every instalment, Ginny also steps in as the central character in 'The Chamber of Secrets' and later even gets married to Harry Potter. Prior to this, HBO had confirmed the casting of its Harry, Ron, and Hermione with Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout. Among the adult cast, John Lithgow will portray Professor Albus Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu will take on the role of Severus Snape, Nick Frost will be seen as Rubeus Hagrid, and Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall. Further casting has also been confirmed for characters such as Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy, Seamus Finnigan, Neville Longbottom, Dudley Dursley, and Garrick Ollivander, among others. The upcoming HBO series will adapt each of the seven 'Harry Potter' books into a full season, with the show set to premiere in 2027. "Get the latest updates on Times of India, including reviews of the movie Coolie and War 2 ."
