EntertainmentPosted at: Oct 5 2025 2:43PM


Dwayne Johnson calls ‘The Smashing Machine’ "A Life Movie, not a Fight Movie" at LA premiere

Los Angeles, Oct 5 (UNI) At the Los Angeles premiere of The Smashing Machine at the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre in Beverly Hills, Dwayne Johnson spoke candidly about his new A24 biopic, emphasizing that the film is “not a fight movie” but “a life movie,” according to Deadline.
The film explores the life of legendary MMA fighter Mark Kerr, whose dominance in the UFC during the late 1990s was followed by a descent into painkiller addiction and personal turmoil—including two overdoses—before making a hard-fought comeback.
“Fighting just happened to be what he did, and he was awesome at it,” Johnson told reporters.
“At one point, he was the greatest fighter on the planet, and then he lost. And he had a hard time reconciling with that loss. And he overdosed twice; he’s lucky to be alive, and I’m so happy that he is alive.”
Emily Blunt, who plays Kerr’s then-girlfriend Dawn Staples-Kerr, spoke about the rare experience of portraying a real person who was involved throughout the filmmaking process.
“I had never had that opportunity to play someone who’s with us,” Blunt said. “I’ve played people who are not with us anymore, so to get to talk to her, absorb her, hear the entirety of her life story from her childhood—and God bless her, she was so indulgent of my incredibly intrusive questions.”
Director Benny Safdie, who co-wrote the film with Johnson and began developing the script in 2023, shared what drew him to Kerr’s story, which was also featured in the 2002 HBO documentary of the same name.
“Mark is a unique person,” Safdie said. “He can go in the ring and beat the crap out of somebody, and in his words, ‘take their will away from them’, but then he can come out and wax poetic about why he did it. He could talk about his feelings in a way that’s almost like a psychoanalyst. I felt like I could learn something through telling this story.”
Kerr himself praised the authenticity of the performances, commending Johnson and Blunt for their dedication to portraying the emotional depth of his journey. “With DJ, he was just a sponge, soaking in everything,” Kerr said.
“And Emily—I call her an ‘emotional detective’ because she digs for these nuggets and pulls them out.”
The premiere was a full-circle moment for Kerr and his ex-wife Dawn, who joined their on-screen counterparts on the red carpet to celebrate the release of The Smashing Machine, which is now playing in theatres.
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