The Rock Releases Public Statement After The Smashing Machine’s Disappointing Box Office Performance

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 it’s been a passion project for The Rock. The film is based on an early 2000s HBO documentary that followed Kerr’s 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.

From deep in my grateful bones, thank you to everyone who has watched “The Smashing Machine”.

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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.

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

The Smashing Machine’s $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 Johnson’s movie career.

The Smashing Machine didn’t open strong in theaters, and that’s a shame, but it’s 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 Rock’s 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 it’s possible that word of mouth will help get this film more attention.

This role moves Johnson in a different direction. He’s 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.

What’s your take on The Smashing Machine not doing great in the Box Office? Do you think that this is the kind of movie you’ll catch on Netflix later? Let us know what you think in the comments section!