logo
Dwayne Johnson is unrecognizable as real-life UFC fighter Mark Kerr in a new A24 movie. Here's what to know about 'The Smashing Machine.'

Dwayne Johnson is unrecognizable as real-life UFC fighter Mark Kerr in a new A24 movie. Here's what to know about 'The Smashing Machine.'

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson 's signature tattoos and bald head are nowhere to be seen in the first trailer for A24's upcoming biopic about a legendary athlete.
In "The Smashing Machine,"Johnson transforms into mixed martial arts (MMA) and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter Mark Kerr, seemingly with the help of a wig and facial prosthetics.
The film, written and directed by Benny Safdie, has been in development since 2019 and was officially announced in late 2023. Now, it's gearing up for a fall release: October 3, 2025.
Here's what to know about the movie and the real-life UFC legend Johnson is portraying.
Mark Kerr is known for his no-holds-barred fighting style
Kerr, born in 1968, is a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion and a World Vale Tudo Championship tournament winner. Kerr's no-holds-barred fighting style earned him the nickname "The Smashing Machine."
His career was previously chronicled in the HBO documentary "The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr."
The documentary gives fans an inside look at Kerr's triumphs as a fighter, his relationship with now-ex-wife Dawn Staples, and his addiction to painkillers, which led to an overdose that he recovered from.
'The Smashing Machine' has been in the works for 6 years
In addition to Johnson portraying Kerr, "The Smashing Machine" stars Emily Blunt as Staples.
Johnson told Variety that he and Safdie connected about the biopic in 2019, when Seven Bucks Productions, the production company co-founded by Johnson and Dany Garcia, acquired the rights to Kerr's story.
The project was put on hold due to pandemic-related delays and other commitments, but eventually, Johnson and the director reconnected thanks to mutual acquaintance Blunt, who filmed " Oppenheimer" with Safdie and previously starred alongside Johnson in "Jungle Cruise."
Nowadays, Johnson is known for roles in action movies like the "Fast & Furious" franchise, the "Jumanji" films, and Disney's " Moana" movies. But the actor knows a thing or two about being in the ring.
Before becoming a bankable Hollywood star, Johnson followed in his father Rocky Johnson's footsteps and became a professional wrestler. Johnson largely stepped back from WWE superstardom in 2004 and pivoted to a career as an actor.
"The Smashing Machine" marks a departure from Johnson's past work. In the biopic, he ditches superhero suits and musical tunes for a more emotional performance as Kerr, who struggled with an addiction to painkillers during his career as a professional fighter.
Johnson told Variety that he's not abandoning blockbusters, but he's eager to try something different.
"I'm at this point in my career where I want more," he said. "And I don't mean I want more box office. I mean I want more humanity. And that is why Benny Safdie is the perfect, collaborative, hungry partner for me."
"The Smashing Machine" hits theaters October 3.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Chile's Antonia Zegers, Star of Pablo Larrain's ‘The Club,' Boards Peruvian helmer Joanna Lombardi's ‘The Comeback'(EXCLUSIVE)
Chile's Antonia Zegers, Star of Pablo Larrain's ‘The Club,' Boards Peruvian helmer Joanna Lombardi's ‘The Comeback'(EXCLUSIVE)

Yahoo

time43 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Chile's Antonia Zegers, Star of Pablo Larrain's ‘The Club,' Boards Peruvian helmer Joanna Lombardi's ‘The Comeback'(EXCLUSIVE)

Chilean actress Antonia Zegers, whose notable credits include several of Pablo Larrain's films, including 'Tony Manero,' 'The Club,' 'No,' and his Pinochet-as-Dracula pic, 'The Count,' has boarded the upcoming drama 'The Comeback' ('El Regreso') by Peru's Joanna Lombardi. Zegers, who also toplined Lucia Puenzo's lauded series 'The Pack' ('La Jauria') serves as a juror at the Ibero-American Fiction section of the ongoing 40th Guadalajara Film Festival (FICG), wrapping on June 14. More from Variety Netflix, Incentives and Location Perks Spur Growth in Mexico's Film and TV Industry Boxing, Uprisings, LGBTQ+ and Coming-of-Age Stories Power Guadalajara Co-Production Meetings Lineup Climate Change Hell, Military Coups, Big Industry Pollution, Fractured Families: Guadalajara Gives a Bracing Latin American Take on World Collapse 'What first drew me in was the chance to work with Joanna – there's a quiet strength in her, a way of seeing the world that speaks to me. I trust that together, we'll create something truly special,' she told Variety. Lombardi is a former creative executive for Movistar in Latin America and leading Peruvian shingle Tondero Films. Her directorial feature debut 'Casadentro' won Montreal Festival's Golden Zenit as well as the international critics Fipresci award. She also directed Peru's first Netflix Original 'How to Get Over a Breakup' ('Soltera codiciada'). Set against the little-known Aug. 28 festivities in the coastal border town of Tacna in Peru, 'The Comeback' follows Martha, a once-famous actress in crisis, who returns to Tacna to sell her family home and use the proceeds to fund a play that she hopes could revive her career. As the city celebrates Aug. 28th, which marks the anniversary of Tacna's return to Peru after its war with Chile, her plans are upended by her sister's sudden illness, forcing Martha to stay in the place she hoped to leave behind. 'This film is about memory, but it is also about identity as Martha left home at 18 for Chile, which upset her family. She was seen as a Peruvian in Chile but when she returns, she is seen as Chilean because she has picked up a Chilean accent,' said Lombardi who has put together a crack – mostly female – team that includes Inti Briones ('To Kill a Man,' 'Jayro Bustamante's 'Rita') as her DP, Chile's Soledad Salfate ('A Fantastic Woman') as her editor and Luciano Supervielle ('The Freshly Cut Grass') as her music composer. Chile's Florencia Larrea ('My Tender Matador') and Uruguay's Agustina Chiarino of Bocacha Films ('Agárrame fuerte'), both key drivers of Latin American cinema, have also boarded as co-producers. They are seeking a European producing partner. 'The Comeback' is written by Lombardi's mother, author Giovanna Pollarolo, the wife of Peru's legendary filmmaker Francisco Lombardi, who wrote all the screenplays to his films, including his hit Goya-nominated satire 'Captain Pantoja and the Special Service.' 'It will be the first time I collaborate with my mother,' said Lombardi, adding: 'It was her idea to set a story in Tacna, which we later co-developed. Tacna was where my father was born and where I spent all my childhood summers.' For some historical context, Tacna played a pivotal role in The War of the Pacific, in which Peru was defeated by Chile in 1883. Yet Tacna remained under Chilean control until August 28, 1929, nearly 50 years later. Almost a century has passed, but the conflict remains unresolved. Deep-seated resentment toward Chile still lingers among the people of Tacna, a reality that must be addressed for true reconciliation. 'Every August 28, the city comes to a standstill to celebrate but ironically, few Peruvians outside Tacna know or remember why,' she said. 'Sometimes I feel people are split between those who want to remember the past and those who prefer to move forward. I often wonder which is healthier,' she mused. Filming is scheduled to take place in Tacna in August next year. Best of Variety 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week

'I felt betrayed': 'Love is Blind' star Lydia explains why she divorced husband Milton
'I felt betrayed': 'Love is Blind' star Lydia explains why she divorced husband Milton

USA Today

time2 hours ago

  • USA Today

'I felt betrayed': 'Love is Blind' star Lydia explains why she divorced husband Milton

'I felt betrayed': 'Love is Blind' star Lydia explains why she divorced husband Milton Show Caption Hide Caption Milton from 'Love is Blind' reflects on fiancée Lydia's past with Uche Milton Johnson from Netflix's "Love is Blind" opened up about his relationship with fiancée Lydia and why he loves that they're so "different." Fan favorite "Love Is Blind" couple Lydia Velez Gonzalez and Milton Johnson are divorcing after three years of marriage. The pair, who met on Season 5 of the hit Netflix dating show, are splitting after turmoil in their marriage, Gonzalez revealed on a Wednesday, June 11 episode of the What's the Reality? podcast. While their marriage once felt like a fairy tale, the 34-year-old geologist said she now feels that Johnson was never ready to be a husband. "It wasn't one thing. Yeah, it was a layer of situations and things that just kept piling it up," Gonzalez told host and fellow "Love Is Blind" alum Amber Desiree "AD" Smith. When Gonzalez informed Johnson that she would file for divorce, he allegedly said he would not sign them unless there was a non-disclosure agreement. "And that said enough for me to know that I needed to share my truth and my experience, because I've been suffering in silence," she said. "This is just my chance to speak my truth for me and for other people that always reach out to me and tell me that I'm an inspiration. I feel that it was very hypocritical me not share this with the world when they have been so transparent with me." Lydia said Milton would not cut off 'disrespectful' ex-partner One of the first signs of trouble in their marriage was an argument the two had about one of Johnson's ex-partners, according to Gonzalez. She considered the woman "very insistent" and "very disrespectful towards our marriage." She added that he also kept a ripped up love letter from the woman in a shoebox at their apartment. At one point, Gonzalez went through Johnson's phone and said she found a text from him referring to the woman that read "I want to (expletive) that person." "When I saw that my heart went to the floor. I felt like betrayed and disrespected," she said. "And then I remember calling him and telling him, 'how long has it been that you want to (expletive) this person.' And he was like, 'what are we talking about.'" Johnson denied any infidelity, adding that he would never jeopardize their marriage and said "that's how boys talk," according to Gonzalez. USA TODAY has reached out to Johnson for comment. 'Love is Blind' pair tried marriage counseling Gonzalez said that her husband felt that she had violated their trust and one day called her "stupid and an untrustworthy person." "I don't consider myself a jealous person, unless you give me motives to, once you give me motives to I'll become a detective. I don't care because my gut instinct is so clever. I mean, it never fails me," she said. She added that the two participated in couple's therapy but that she felt it was not working. Gonzalez said other issues included Johnson becoming distant and addicted to the video game "Halo" and him allegedly scolding her in front of his family for cursing too much. Over time, she said his comments "kept making me feel small" and eventually made the decision to end the relationship she once felt showed her the "kind of love that I've never received before." The pair met on Season 5 of the reality dating show on Netflix, in which contestants looking for romance interact via pods designed to keep their appearances a mystery.

LGBTQ Representation In Movies Hits 3-Year Low, GLAAD Finds
LGBTQ Representation In Movies Hits 3-Year Low, GLAAD Finds

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

LGBTQ Representation In Movies Hits 3-Year Low, GLAAD Finds

After reaching a record high in 2022, LGBTQ representation continues to decline in movies. On Wednesday, GLAAD released the 13th edition of its Studio Responsibility Index (SRI), which found that LGBTQ-inclusive films dropped to 23.6% of releases from 10 top studio distributors during the 2024 calendar year, down from 27.3% in 2023 and 28.5% in 2022. More from Deadline Pride Month Viewing: 20 Buzzy LGBTQ Movies Of 2025 'I Don't Understand You's Husband Writing-Directing Duo Talks "Horror Movie" Adoption Experience, "Amazing" Italian Crew & Their Son's Cameo 'Queer as Folk' Cast Reuniting For 25th Anniversary At Pride Live! Hollywood, Plus 'Golden Girls' Birthday & Norman Lear Tribute The SRI also found that, only two films (less than 1%) featured transgender characters; 37% of LGBTQ characters had less than one minute of screen time; only 27% had more than 10 minutes of screen time, down from 38% last year; LGBTQ characters of color made up the lowest percentage since 2019 at 36%; and there were no LGBTQ characters living with HIV in any of the 250 films tracker. 'This year's findings are a wake-up call to the industry. At a time when LGBTQ people are facing unprecedented attacks in politics and news media, film must be a space for visibility and truth,' said Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD president and CEO. 'Representation isn't about checking a box — it's about whose stories get told, whose lives are valued, and creating worlds that mirror our own society today. When done authentically, LGBTQ representation builds audience and buzz, while humanizing LGBTQ people as those in power are actively working to take away our humanity.' Meanwhile, gender parity was reached among LGBTQ characters for the first time in five years, at 50% women, 48% men and 2% nonbinary; and A24 was the only studio to receive a 'Good' rating with the highest percentage of LGBTQ films. Looking at releases from A24, Amazon, Apple TV+, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros. Discovery, as well as their subsidiaries and streaming services, films were judged based on the basic standard for meaningful LGBTQ inclusion, as outlined by GLAAD's Vito Russo Test, named after a co-founder of the organization. The 2024 titles that passed the Vito Russo Test include Love Lies Bleeding (A24), Problemista (A24), My Old Ass (Amazon), Drive-Away Dolls (NBCUniversal), Mean Girls (Paramount Pictures), Fancy Dance (Apple TV+), Good Grief (Netflix), Rez Ball (Netflix), Sweethearts (Warner Bros. Discovery), Housekeeping for Beginners (NBCUniversal), The Radleys (Lionsgate), Ricky Stanicky (Amazon), Between the Temples (Sony Pictures Entertainment) and Prom Dates (The Walt Disney Company). Following the Trump administration's attacks on DEI and recent attempt to cancel Pride Month, several LGBTQ films are finding their ways to the screen this year. Best of Deadline 'Stick' Release Guide: When Do New Episodes Come Out? 'Stick' Soundtrack: All The Songs You'll Hear In The Apple TV+ Golf Series 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store