In an unexpected twist to the already fascinating tale of Mark Kerr’s life story reaching Hollywood, it has been revealed that MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko was among the fighters cast in an earlier attempt to bring “The Smashing Machine” to the big screen.
Before Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson acquired the rights to make the $40 million biopic about Mark Kerr that’s slated for release this year, there was a previous production attempt that ultimately collapsed under suspicious circumstances.
According to actor Manu Bennett, who was cast to play Mark Kerr around 2007, a star-studded MMA cast had been assembled for the film, including Fedor Emelianenko and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, with Jean-Claude Van Damme set to play Kerr’s coach.
“I got that role and I got to South Africa to start filming,” Bennett revealed. “They had like Fedor Emelianenko, they had Shogun, and Van Damme was going to play my coach.”
The production came to an abrupt halt when Van Damme failed to appear. “Van Damme didn’t show up on his plane and we’re all in South Africa ready to film this thing and he didn’t show up and the whole film fell over because of it,” Bennett explained.
This earlier version of “The Smashing Machine” also faced legal troubles. According to Mark Kerr, there was a lawsuit involving Rico Rodriguez, who appeared in the original documentary. “Rico Rodriguez actually had a lawsuit with the Smashing Machine. Turned into a court war that Rico Rodriguez won,” Kerr stated.
The Rock’s interest in Kerr’s story dates back to 1999 when they crossed paths at Gold’s Gym. After viewing the documentary years later, Johnson maintained his interest but didn’t have the industry influence or financial backing to acquire the rights until much later in his career.
When Johnson finally announced the project at UFC 244 in 2019, it received a mixed reception – with hardcore fans immediately recognizing Kerr’s significance while newer fans seemed unfamiliar with the MMA pioneer.
The production faced further delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, pushing filming beyond the originally planned 2021 schedule. Now set for release in October 2024, the film stars Johnson as Kerr, with Emily Blunt playing Dawn, Kerr’s former girlfriend, Ryan Bader as Mark Coleman, and heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk portraying Igor Vovchanchyn.
