Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s latest venture into dramatic territory has stumbled hard at the box office. ‘The Smashing Machine’ delivered his career-worst opening weekend of just $5.9 million domestically. The biographical drama about UFC champion Mark Kerr represents a dramatic departure from Johnson’s typical blockbuster fare, but audiences appear reluctant to follow him into this grittier territory.
The disappointing debut comes as a surprise given the film’s initial industry buzz. Just three weeks prior, tracking forecasts predicted ‘The Smashing Machine’ would become one of A24’s highest-grossing openings ever, with projections in the high teens to $20 million range. The Venice Film Festival world premiere generated considerable awards season speculation, complete with a 15½-minute standing ovation and Johnson’s emotional response on the international stage.
“From deep in my grateful bones, thank you to everyone who has watched The Smashing Machine,” Johnson posted on social media following the weekend results. “In our storytelling world, you can’t control box office results — but what I realized you can control is your performance, and your commitment to completely disappear and go elsewhere. And I will always run to that opportunity. Truth is, this film has changed my life.”
The project represented a passion endeavor for Johnson, who first announced the Mark Kerr biopic at the UFC 244 card weigh-in back in November 2019. He took a significantly reduced $4 million fee—far below his typical $20 million-plus payday—and reportedly shared portions of his compensation with co-star Emily Blunt and Kerr himself.
However, word began circulating after the Toronto Film Festival premiere that ‘The Smashing Machine’ wasn’t the traditional sports underdog story many expected. Instead, audiences encountered a deliberately paced character study focused on an athlete’s struggle with s**stance abuse—a narrative approach that earned the film a B- CinemaScore, typical for A24’s polarizing artistic offerings.
The film’s commercial challenges extend beyond audience expectations. Industry insiders point to several factors that contributed to the disappointing opening. MMA enthusiasts, who might seem like the natural target demographic, largely stayed home. Many hardcore fans had already seen the acclaimed documentary about Kerr’s career and felt the feature film offered little new perspective on familiar territory.
Marketing missteps may have compounded the problem. Critics within the industry suggest A24’s digital-focused promotional strategy proved insufficient for a wide release starring an A-list performer. “If A24 wants to make movies at this budget threshold with A-list stars they can’t just rely on their digital-social media and tastemaker driven campaigns. It’s a very different ballgame,” noted one boutique studio executive.
The promotional efforts faced additional headwinds from an unexpected competitor: Taylor Swift’s last-minute concert film release, which captured premium large format screens and dominated online ticketing platforms throughout the weekend.
Wrestling-themed movies historically struggle at the box office, providing some context for the underwhelming performance. Recent comparable releases like A24’s “Iron Claw” opened to $4.8 million, while “The Wrestler” peaked at $3.7 million during its sixth weekend. Even with Johnson’s star power, “The Smashing Machine” falls within the genre’s typical commercial limitations.
Despite the disappointing launch, financial losses should remain manageable. The production carried a net $50 million budget after tax incentives from Vancouver and New Mexico, with foreign sales contributing an estimated $35 million. Industry estimates suggest losses in the $10-15 million range, assuming a final domestic total between $14-20 million.
Johnson’s box office stumble recalls previous specialty ventures that failed to connect with mainstream audiences, including 2006’s “Southland Tales,” which earned less than $300,000 domestically after its Cannes premiere.
However, the superstar’s commercial appeal remains largely intact, with highly anticipated projects including Disney’s live-action “Moana” and “Jumanji 3” on the horizon.
