The Smashing Machine (2025 film)

The Smashing Machine is an upcoming American biographical sports drama film written and directed by Benny Safdie. It stars Dwayne Johnson as former wrestler and mixed martial artist Mark Kerr, alongside Emily Blunt as his wife.

Cast

 * Dwayne Johnson as Mark Kerr
 * Emily Blunt as Dawn Staples
 * Lyndsey Gavin as Elizabeth Coleman
 * Oleksandr Usyk as Igor Vovchanchyn
 * Bas Rutten as himself
 * Ryan Bader as Mark Coleman
 * Satoshi Ishii as Enson Inoue
 * Yoko Hamamura as Kazuyuki Fujita
 * Paul Cheng as Masaaki Satake
 * Cyborg Abreu as Fábio Gurgel
 * Zoe Kosovic as McKenzie Coleman

Production
In December 2023, it was announced that a biographical sports drama film based on the life and career of former wrestler and mixed martial artist Mark Kerr was in development at A24, with Benny Safdie directing and writing the screenplay, and Dwayne Johnson in the lead role. In late February 2024, Emily Blunt was in talks to join the film. In March, during the 96th Academy Awards, Johnson confirmed that Blunt would star in the film as Kerr's wife Dawn Staples. In May, Lyndsey Gavin, Oleksandr Usyk, Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten and Zoe Kosovic joined the cast.

Filming
Principal photography began on May 21, 2024, in Vancouver, Los Angeles, New Mexico, and Tokyo. It is expected to film until August 1.