WWE fans have seen commercials for The Smashing Machine on their screens, but it may not have attracted them to the theaters.
Dwayne Johnson plays former UFC and PRIDE fighter Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine. His story includes wins in the cage and problems outside of it, and its been a passion project for The Rock. The film is based on an early 2000s HBO documentary that followed Kerrs rise and his fight with addiction and personal chaos, so they did their best to stay true to his story.
The Rock issued a statement Monday on Instagram after the Mark Kerr biopic brought in only $6 million during its opening weekend, ranking third behind two other major releases. In the end, he is proud of the work they put out with The Smashing Machine.
The Smashing Machines $50 million budget film came in behind Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl, which earned more than $33 million, and One Battle After Another, which took in $11 million. The Smashing Machine also marked the lowest opening weekend of Johnsons movie career.
The Smashing Machine didnt open strong in theaters, and thats a shame, but its been picking up attention elsewhere. Rotten Tomatoes shows a 74% critic score based on over 220 reviews. That is a great sign, especially for fans who want to hear The Rocks name during awards season. The audience score for that Rotten Tomatoes rating also sits at 78% from more than 250 viewers. The film earned a Certified Fresh mark since then, so its possible that word of mouth will help get this film more attention.
This role moves Johnson in a different direction. Hes stepping away from explosions and toward something more grounded. Some people might find this film later, maybe through word of mouth or on streaming. Either way, it seems the experience changed Johnson more than the box office did.
Whats your take on The Smashing Machine not doing great in the Box Office? Do you think that this is the kind of movie youll catch on Netflix later? Let us know what you think in the comments section!
