We called it earlier this week in our predictions column: The Rock is no match for the power of Taylor Swift at the box office. Despite earning the best reviews of his career, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s The Smashing Machine was no match for Taylor Swift: Official Release Party of a Showgirl, which topped the box office this weekend.
The Swift documentary (which we reviewed here) is on track for a $30 million debut — a solid number, even if it’s below the $40 million many (including us) predicted. Still, the Swifties once again proved their box office clout, propelling the film to an A+ CinemaScore and enthusiastic social media buzz.
What’s truly surprising is how poorly The Smashing Machine is performing. It’s on track to open a distant third, with Deadline calling a $6.2 million weekend — by far the weakest opening of Johnson’s career. Even early flops like Faster and the underseen Fighting With My Family fared better. It’s a major disappointment for Johnson, who poured his heart and soul into the project, which many expected to earn him awards consideration.
The film’s failure also marks another tough blow for A24, who’ve endured a rough year at the box office. Following a string of high-profile misses (Death of a Unicorn, Opus, Bring Her Back, Warfare), only Materialists and Friendship have been bright spots for the studio in 2025.
Meanwhile, Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another is holding second place with an estimated $12 million weekend — a 55% dip from last week. Not great for a film that reportedly cost around $150 million, but awards buzz could still give it a second wind later in the season.
Elsewhere, Gabby’s Dollhouse saw a steep 66% drop in week two, pulling in about $4.7 million, while The Conjuring: Last Rights is rounding out the top five. However, there’s a chance Avatar: The Way of Water — newly re-released this weekend — could sneak into fifth place once the dust settles.
We’ll be back tomorrow with the full box office wrap-up!
