Despite Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s critically appreciated performance in The Smashing Machine, the Benny Safdie-directed movie fell flat at the box office. The sports biography based on the MMA legend, Mark Kerr’s life, experienced a $5.8 million opening weekend, falling far behind its targeted weekend earnings of $8 million to $15 million. (via The Numbers, Variety)
It has been twelve days since ‘The Smashing Machine‘s release. Still, the movie hasn’t recovered even one-third of its $50 million budget, as its worldwide box office collections stood at $13.1 million. (as of October 14)
However, the critical appreciation for Johnson’s performance in the movie just touched a new level, as the legendary Hollywood director, Christopher Nolan, labeled his performance “incredible.” (via CultureCrave on X)
It’s heartbreaking. I think it’s an incredible performance. I don’t think you’ll see a better performance this year.
While it’s apparent that Johnson will cherish Nolan’s appreciation for his overall performance in the film, he chose a different set of words from Nolan about the movie as the best prize of his acting career.
Which Christopher Nolan Remark Did Dwayne Johnson Rate as the ‘Greatest Compliment’?
The Smashing Machine primarily revolves around Kerr’s in-ring MMA showdowns. However, it also contains several emotional junctures, as it displays a few moving background events involving the 56-year-old’s pro-MMA career.
Johnson has specifically mentioned how filming the intense argument scene with his co-star, Emily Blunt (as Kerr’s then-wife, Dawn Staples), took a toll on him emotionally due to its “raw” and “intense” nature. (via ESPN)
The Rock’s hard work finally paid off after Nolan got so emotionally struck by the scene that he mentioned he “shouldn’t be watching” it.
Check out a glimpse of the scene below in the trailer of the movie:
During his appearance in a late-September episode of CBS News’ “Sunday Morning” show, The Rock cherished the argument scene’s impact on Nolan. Johnson also labeled Nolan’s subsequent remarks as the “greatest compliment” ever.
A post shared by CBS News' "Sunday Morning" 🌞 (@cbssundaymorning)
Johnson received Nolan’s appreciation after putting in the work for the intense argument scene. However, he also accepted a different kind of challenge for his role in The Smashing Machine.
Dwayne Johnson’s Role in the Smashing Machine Was Physically Challenging
Given The Smashing Machine‘s MMA-based plot, it features a plethora of fighting sequences, which require a high level of expertise to recreate effectively for screens. Johnson, who has been a pro-wrestler for years now, certainly had some skills to play the role. But he had to acquire most of them after being elected to play Kerr on-screen.
Additionally, The Rock detailed how he had to acquire the MMA skills after gaining more than “30 pounds” of muscle, which made his task even more challenging. (via The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on YouTube)
I had to put on 30 pounds of, [actually] just over 30 pounds of muscle [for the role]… Mark Kerr had just this quality of muscle, like, fast-twitch-quality muscle, because he was a wrestler [who transitioned to MMA]. And I had to put on this weight, and still be able to move like an MMA fighter.
Looking at the appreciation Johnson is receiving from noted Hollywood figures like Nolan, do you think The Smashing Machine should have performed better at the box office? Let us know in the comments below.
