Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will play MMA champion Mark Kerr in the upcoming film The Smashing Machine from Uncut Gems co-director Benny Safdie, A24 announced.
The former wrestler and mixed martial arts athlete rose to prominence in the ‘90s and early 2000s and went on to receive the documentary treatment with the release of The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr. The biopic looks to adopt that title and tell a story through Safdie’s writing and directing. In a press release from A24, the studio mentions Kerr’s highs and lows through the UFC, including his “struggles with addiction, winning, love, and friendship in the year 2000.”
“Dwayne and Benny are singular talents, and their shared vision for Mark’s inspiring story is electrifying,” A24 Head of Productions and Acquisitions Noah Sacco said. “We are deeply honored to have their trust as collaborators in bringing this incredibly special project to life.”
A24 is producing and financing the biopic. Johnson and Safdie have toiled away on the project since Johnson and Dany Garcia’s Seven Bucks Productions picked up the rights in 2019.
Seven Bucks Productions is also producing alongside Eli Bush, David Koplan, and Safdie’s Out for the Count. No specific plot details outside what we already know about Kerr’s career have been revealed.
Work with A24 is a bit outside of Johnson’s usual lineup of big-budget action flicks, though the wrestler-turned-actor should fit right at home considering who he’s playing and the MMA lifestyle he was a part of. Safdie, meanwhile, has worked with the studio before but more recently appeared as on-screen talent in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.
Thumbnail credit: Aldara Zarraoa/WireImage
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.
