Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is gearing up for another big role, and this time he will be playing a beloved UFC legend by the name of Mark Kerr.
The movie is called The Smashing Machine and is centered around the life and career of Kerr, who is a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion. Kerr fought back in the olden days of MMA, and the movie looks to deliver a thrilling glance at the peak of the tournament format days of the UFC and highlight the rollercoaster of a journey that was Kerr’s life and career.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, ‘The Rock’ is working closely with director Benny Safdie, who also worked on films such as Adam Sandler’s Uncut Gems. The production company A24 will produce and finance the movie, as well as Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s own company: Seven Bucks Productions, Eli Bush, David Koplan, and Safdie’s Out for the Count banner.
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson hopes to give fans the greatest MMA movie of all time
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is surely hoping to give fans something special with this movie, as ‘The Rock’ has been a longtime fan of the UFC and MMA for many years. He was even the one to present Jorge Masvidal with the BMF title back in 2019.
The story of Mark Kerr will also no doubt be very movie-worthy. The man was known for his substance abuse issues and also was living a life of self-reported lavish luxury during the peak of his fighting years. Kerr was essentially living a rockstar lifestyle but as an MMA fighter. Not to mention that he fought during the “Wild West” era of the UFC. Back when rules and regulations were a far cry more lax than they are today.
As of now, there is no official release date for the movie. It is expected to begin production in 2024, and fans can only hope to get to enjoy it sooner, rather than later.
Do you think ‘The Rock’ is too corny to star in such a serious movie?