‘The Smashing Machine’ Finally Gets an HBO Max Release Date — Here’s When to Watch

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Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s gritty film, The Smashing Machine, is coming to HBO Max on January 23rd. Many fans consider this to be one of his most dramatic and serious performances, and now a new audience will have a chance to see it.

Directed by Benny Safdie, the film centers on the life of Mark Kerr, a former MMA fighter. Kerr was a major competitor in the late 90s and early 2000s, winning several ADCC World Championships. The movie portrays both his success in the fighting world and the difficult personal challenges he faced.

Everyone’s talking about ‘The Smashing Machine’ – it’s raising the standard for action films. Dwayne Johnson is completely transformed and delivering what many are calling the best performance of his career, thanks to director Benny Safdie and production company A24. It’s making Zack Snyder’s ‘Brawler’ look less impressive in comparison.

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Dwayne Johnson stars as Mark Kerr, and Emily Blunt plays his wife, Dawn Staples. The film features Bas Rutten, Lyndsey Gavin, Oleksandr Usyk, and other prominent fighters. This is director Josh Safdie’s first time directing a film on his own, following his collaborations with his brother on movies like Uncut Gems and Good Time.

Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, who previously starred together in the 2021 film Jungle Cruise, are teaming up again for The Smashing Machine. They’ll also be working with Leonardo DiCaprio in an upcoming crime movie directed by Martin Scorsese.

Although the movie didn’t do well in theaters, earning only $5.9 million domestically, Dwayne Johnson has shared how important the project was to him. After the film came out, he posted on Instagram, thanking his fans and sharing his thoughts on making it.

Johnson expressed deep gratitude to viewers of ‘The Smashing Machine.’ He shared that while you can’t influence how a film performs in theaters, you can control your own dedication and ability to fully immerse yourself in a role – and that’s something he’ll always strive for.

He also commended Safdie for giving him the challenging role, and shared that making the film was a profoundly meaningful experience.

Now that the movie is coming to HBO Max, more people will likely see it, and it could generate further discussion about Johnson’s powerful performance and the film’s honest portrayal of its subject matter.

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2025-12-23 00:44