Dwayne Johnson‘s Oscar bait movie has just been given a prime awards season release date.
According to Deadline, A24 has set an October 3, 2025 release for The Smashing Machine, its upcoming biopic about MMA fighter Mark Kerr. Johnson is starring as Kerr in the movie, which was written, produced, and directed by Benny Safdie. A first look at Johnson as Kerr can be seen above.
The Smashing Machine follows “Kerr (Johnson) from the no-holds-barred era of the UFC at the peak of his career as he questions himself and struggles with life and his relationships. Meanwhile, Mark’s girlfriend Dawn Staples (Emily Blunt) struggles as well to find her place in Mark’s chaotic and contradictory world.”
Who Is Mark Kerr?
Kerr was a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion, World Vale Tudo Championship tournament winner, Pride FC heavyweight champion, 1992 NCAA national wrestling champion, 1994 National Freestyle Champion, and 4x ADCC World Submission Champion. An HBO documentary about Kerr titled The Smashing Machine was released in 2003, detailing his MMA career fighting in Vale Tudo, the UFC, and Pride.
The Smashing Machine will be the first of at least two movies featuring Johnson as a “serious actor.” He is also set to star in an untitled mafia movie alongside Blunt and Leonardo DiCaprio. Martin Scorsese will direct that picture.
The Smashing Machine hits theaters on October 3, 2025.
Are you ready to say, “Where were you when the hierarchy of the Oscars Best Picture category changed with Johnson’s The Smashing Machine performance?”
