Dwayne Johnson was one of the most reliable stars ever at the box office, but earlier this year, he broke his track record when he switched to an entirely different genre. Johnson headlined A24’s Oscar-hopeful MMA biopic, The Smashing Machine, also starring Emily Blunt. The film debuted to widespread critical acclaim, earning Johnson a Golden Globe nomination, but it underperformed at the box office, despite costing only $40 million. Following its theatrical release, A24 has announced that The Smashing Machine will begin streaming on HBO Max next year, starting January 23.
The Smashing Machine debuted to a flawless 100% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes over the summer at several film festivals, but this score has since come to rest at a lower 71%. This is still Certified Fresh, though. It also earned a 74% on the audience-driven Popcornmeter, with many of Johnson’s fans criticizing the film for being too slow, and there not being enough action. This lukewarm reception from fans also showed in the box office results, despite Johnson marketing the film heavily on his social media. The Smashing Machine grossed only $21 million globally, which wasn’t nearly enough to break even, considering the film carries a $40 million budget.
The Smashing Machine was written and directed by Benny Safdie, and it’s inspired by the 2003 documentary of the same name detailing the life of MMA titan Mark Kerr. Safdie and The Rock are due to reunite soon on Lizard Music, another Oscar-hopeful film that will see Johnson play a much older man. Safdie has also worked as an actor on recent projects such as Happy Gilmore 2 and Oppenheimer, and he even had a small role in Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Dwayne Johnson Isn’t Abandoning Blockbusters
Dwayne Johnson may have pivoted his career slightly to focus on movies that could help earn him his first Oscar nomination, but that doesn’t mean he is giving up the blockbuster entirely. Johnson is currently filming the third installment in his hit action franchise, Jumanji, along with Jack Black, Karen Gillan, and Kevin Hart. He’s also expected to reprise his role as Luke Hobbs in the 11th and final Fast & Furious movie, which is expected to begin production early next year. Johnson is setting out to prove he can appeal to multiple genres of movie fans.
Be sure to check out The Smashing Machine on HBO Max starting January 23, and stay tuned to Collider for more streaming updates.
- Release Date
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October 1, 2025
- Runtime
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123 minutes
- Director
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Benny Safdie
