Dwayne Johnson Reacts to His Latest Movie Becoming His Lowest-Grossing Opening Weekend: “You Can’t Control Box Office Results”
Dwayne Johnson is opening up about the rocky start for his latest film, The Smashing Machine. The biographical sports drama tells the story of former amateur wrestler and MMA fighter Mark Kerr.
Directed, written, co-produced, and edited by Benny Safdie, the film also stars Emily Blunt as Kerr’s girlfriend Dawn Staples, with Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten, and Oleksandr Usyk in supporting roles.
The movie premiered in the main competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on September 1, where it won the Silver Lion. It was later released in the United States by A24 on October 3.
Exclusive clip from Benny Safdie’s ‘THE SMASHING MACHINE’, starring Dwayne Johnson.
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 25, 2025
In theaters on October 3. pic.twitter.com/Eb8OgfXvwq
Critics generally praised the film, with Rotten Tomatoes reporting that 73% of 231 reviews were positive. The site’s consensus reads, “Dwayne Johnson goes the distance with his transformative turn as Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine, a gritty biopic that sidesteps cliché even at the expense of narrative satisfaction while still landing the dramatic body blows that count.”
On Metacritic, the movie holds a score of 65 out of 100 based on 53 reviews, indicating generally favorable reception. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave it a B- on an A+ to F scale.
Despite the positive critical response, The Smashing Machine struggled at the box office. Its opening weekend brought in just $5.9 million, making it the lowest-grossing opening of Johnson’s career.
Analysts attributed the performance to a limited target audience, weak word-of-mouth, and a marketing campaign focused heavily on digital platforms, which failed to reach older viewers.
Johnson responded to the numbers, telling reporters, “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.”
While the financial results were disappointing, the movie has still made an impact with critics and fans who have seen it. Many praised Johnson’s commitment to the role and the raw, realistic approach of the story.
It’s clear that box office numbers don’t always reflect a film’s quality or the effort put into it. The Smashing Machine seems like one of those movies that will be appreciated more over time, especially by fans of MMA and sports dramas. What do you think about Johnson’s performance and the film’s opening? Share your thoughts in the comments.