Dwayne Johnson has opened up about the box office reception of his latest sports drama, The Smashing Machine. Starring alongside Emily Blunt, the film debuted in theatres last Friday, earning $6 million in its opening weekend. Taking to Instagram, Johnson expressed gratitude toward fans and reflected on the personal impact of the film.
Sharing two stills from the film, Johnson wrote, “From deep in my grateful bones, thank you to everyone who has watched “The Smashing Machine”. 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.”
He added, “And I will always run to that opportunity. It was my honor to transform in this role for my director Benny Safdie @bowedtie. Thank you brother for believing in me. Truth is this film has changed my life. With deep gratitude, respect and radical empathy, dj.”
Check out the post below:
Box Office Performance:
According to Variety, the film ranked third at the box office in its opening weekend, playing in 3,345 venues. With a production budget of $50 million (excluding promotion costs), The Smashing Machine trailed behind Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl ($33 million) and Leonardo DiCaprio’s One Battle After Another ($10.3 million in its second weekend).
More about The Smashing Machine
The Smashing Machine is a 2025 American sports drama biopic directed, written, co-produced, and edited by Benny Safdie. Inspired by the 2002 documentary The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr, the movie features Dwayne Johnson as legendary MMA fighter and former wrestler Mark Kerr. Emily Blunt plays Kerr’s then-wife, Dawn Staples, while Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten, and Oleksandr Usyk appear in key supporting roles.
After its world premiere at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival, where Safdie clinched the Silver Lion for Best Director, the film went on to screen at the Toronto International Film Festival, earning glowing reviews. Critics hailed it as one of Johnson’s most compelling performances to date.
Also Read: The Smashing Machine Trailer: Dwayne Johnson Looks Unrecognisable As Wrestler Mark Kerr; Watch
