Dwayne Johnson’s ‘The Smashing Machine’ Gets KO’d at Box Office

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Dwayne Johnson’s latest film, *The Smashing Machine*, didn’t perform well in its opening weekend, earning only $6 million domestically. This is the lowest opening weekend box office result of his entire career.

Lowest Opening Ever for Dwayne Johnson

Despite Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson heavily promoting the film and its large social media presence, the R-rated MMA drama *The Smashing Machine* didn’t attract many viewers. While it was initially expected to earn between $15 and $20 million on its opening weekend, it only brought in $6 million and received a lackluster ‘B’ grade from audiences, according to CinemaScore. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 73% rating, and general audiences rated it 77%.

This suggests the film missed both its core UFC audience and the broader adult specialty crowd.

A Passion Project Since 2019

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson first revealed he was making the film *The Smashing Machine* in 2019 at a UFC event. He stars as Mark Kerr, a heavyweight fighter whose battles with addiction and difficult personal life are a key part of the story. Directed by Benny Safdie, the movie received a 15-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival and currently has a 73% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Despite its artistic choices, the movie didn’t connect with most viewers. Its slow speed and unusual storytelling – which wasn’t a typical inspiring sports movie or a story about someone losing everything – failed to resonate with general audiences.

$10M–$15M Loss Expected

A24 funded the movie for around $50 million, after considering tax benefits and early sales to international distributors. While it’s projected to earn between $14 and $20 million domestically, the film is expected to lose between $10 and $15 million overall. Deals A24 made with streaming services like HBO Max and other international partners might lessen the financial loss, but the movie will likely still not be profitable.

Johnson accepted a payment of $4 million—significantly less than his typical fee of $20 million or more—and generously split a portion of his earnings with Emily Blunt and Mark Kerr.

Poor Marketing and Timing

According to sources at *Deadline*, A24’s marketing for the film is being criticized. While they did increase advertising on ESPN and during the MLB Playoffs, it might not have been enough to stand out against larger studio releases. Even Dwayne Johnson’s fans didn’t seem to know about or care much for the film.

The Smashing Machine saw its premium screenings impacted by Taylor Swift’s concert film, The Official Release Party of a Showgirl, which was the biggest draw over the weekend.

Wrestling Movie Ceiling

The film’s box office is comparable to other wrestling-themed dramas:

  • The Iron Claw (2023): $35M total
  • The Wrestler (2008): $26.2M total
  • Foxcatcher (2014): $12M total

While *The Smashing Machine* is a decent film, it didn’t quite live up to the high expectations set by its lead actor, Johnson.

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A post shared by Dwayne Johnson (@therock)

A Setback, But Not the End

This isn’t the first time one of Johnson’s artistic films hasn’t done well – his 2006 movie, *Southland Tales*, earned less than $300,000. However, he has some major projects coming up that are expected to be more successful. He’ll be back in blockbuster form with *Moana* in July 2026 and *Jumanji 3* in December 2026.

Johnson responded on social media, saying:

You have no control over how a movie performs at the box office, but you *can* control your own acting and how fully you commit to the role – essentially, losing yourself in the character. I’ll always embrace that challenge. Honestly, making this film has been a transformative experience for me.

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2025-10-07 00:02