A24 is hitting the mat hard this month. Fresh off of a new poster for The Smashing Machine comes the first teaser, showcasing what could be a game-changing performance from Dwayne Johnson. We got our first look at Dwayne Johnson as retired MMA fighter Mark Kerr nearly a year ago, but it looks like A24 is already eyeing to get some awards season buzz with these promos.
In the teaser, we hear Johnson, as Kerr, state, “Winning is the best feeling there is. It’s 40,000 and they’re cheering you on. There’s no other high like it in the world.” The hold that it would have on his career no doubt offers a sort of reflection of former WWE Superstar The Rock, but here we start to see just what sort of impact it all had on Kerr and his wife, played by Emily Blunt.
The teaser also points to a showdown between Mark Kerr and longtime friend Mark Coleman. But MMA buffs may note that the two never actually found inside the octagon, so The Smashing Machine is either taking liberties for dramatic effect or it ends up being a tease for a retelling of an actual event. As Coleman himself wrote on Instagram last year, “The fight we didn’t get to see. We were supposed to collide in the pride Grand Prix 2000 semi finals. It didn’t happen. This is the one fight I would’ve really liked to have seen. The smashing machine Mark Kerr, when he was properly prepared he was as dominant as anyone ever.”
Mark Kerr was known to be an incredible in-ring talent, proving to be NCAA wrestling champion as well as a team trial winner with USA Wrestling, which partly focuses on freestyle wrestling. Once he hit the UFC scene, Kerr became a two-time heavyweight tournament champion in 1997. Notably, that first championship came via his second fight in the organization, beating Dan Bobish via submission in under two minutes. Mark Kerr was previously the subject of a documentary all the way back in 2002. As part of his getting into character, Dwayne Johnson has previously shown off his training regiment.
Directed by Benny Safdie, The Smashing Machine hits theaters on October 3rd, a prime spot to position Johnson as a potential Oscar campaign.
