Dwayne Johnson in a still from ‘The Smashing Machine’
| Photo Credit: A24

Dwayne Johnson sheds his signature charisma for a rawness in the first trailer for The Smashing Machine, a biopic about UFC legend Mark Kerr. Directed by Benny Safdie in his solo feature debut, the A24 film offers a stripped-down portrait of the former MMA champion — and unveils Johnson as audiences have never seen him before.

Set to release on October 3, The Smashing Machine tells the story of Kerr, a two-time UFC heavyweight champion and four-time ADCC winner, whose rise to fame was matched by deeply personal battles with substance abuse and fractured relationships. The film is inspired by the 2002 HBO documentary of the same name, which chronicled Kerr’s harrowing journey inside and outside the cage.

Joining Johnson is Emily Blunt, playing Kerr’s wife Dawn Staples, in their second on-screen collaboration after Jungle Cruise. The supporting cast includes Bas Rutten, Lyndsey Gavin, and Oleksandr Usyk.

In a statement to Variety, Johnson said, “I’m at a point in my career where I want to make films that matter… that explore humanity, struggle, and pain.” He praised Safdie for creating stories that are “raw and real, characters that are authentic and at times uncomfortable and arresting.”

Safdie, best known for co-directing Uncut Gems and Good Time, both critically acclaimed for their intensity and nerve, also wrote the screenplay and produces alongside Johnson, Dany Garcia, Eli Bush, Hiram Garcia, and David Koplan.