Dwayne The Rock Johnson isnt sweating the box office flop of The Smashing Machine, despite it marking the lowest opening weekend of his movie career.
During a live taping of The Hollywood Reporters Awards Chatter podcast in front of 500 film students at Chapman University, Johnson opened up about the deeply personal role and why the numbers didnt bother him.
The Smashing Machine, where Johnson played former MMA fighter Mark Kerr, was a major departure from his usual blockbuster action comedies like Jumanji or Moana. The film drew praise out of Venice and Toronto film festivals, with critics applauding Johnsons performance. Still, the movie only pulled in $19 million on a $50 million budget. But for Johnson, this project was about more than box office numbersit was a creative breakthrough.
Even if The Smashing Machine didnt smash the box office, Dwayne Johnson isnt losing sleep over it. This was about passion, not profitand hes already gearing up for more serious roles with Hollywood heavyweights like Scorsese and Aronofsky. So while the numbers didnt hit hard, the impact clearly did.
Do you think The Rock should keep taking dramatic roles like The Smashing Machine? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
