The latest trailer has been released for The Smashing Machine. This film is a sports biography that tells the real-life story of MMA and UFC champion Mark Kerr. The film features Dwayne Johnson in the lead role, with a supporting cast that includes Emily Blunt, Paul Lazenby, Marcus Aurelio, Whitney Moore, Bas Rutten, and Paul Cheng. It is directed by Benny Safdie, one half of what was once the directing duo the Safdie Brothers, known for movies like Uncut Gems and Good Time. The Smashing Machine is distributed by A24.
Now, A24 has released the first trailer for The Smashing Machine.
The trailer opens with Mark sitting in a waiting room at a doctor’s office, with punch marks around his eyes. The scene then cuts to the protagonist fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The trailer then shows images from Mark’s life, including his relationship with his partner, Dawn Staples, as he gains fame in the UFC universe. Mark experienced multiple challenges, including trying to get money for his work, and trying to secure stronger pain medication for his injuries.
What This Trailer Means For The Smashing Machine
Johnson Is Taking On More Drama Than He’s Used To
In addition to showing Mark’s specific life story, The Smashing Machine trailer focuses on the history of the UFC. Text on screen reads “before it was a worldwide phenomenon, there was UFC legend Mark Kerr.” An elderly lady in the doctor’s office waiting room with Mark also mentions UFC as something that they are “trying to ban.” As such, the rise of the UFC, and the challenges the combat-based group faces in their development will be one big source of conflict in the movie.
The trailer also gives a better look at Johnson in this dramatic role. Typically, Johnson’s more intense parts are physically demanding rather than mentally taxing, as he has been in numerous action movies over the span of his decades-long career. When he is not in action, he is in lighter roles, such as playing the voice of Maui in Moana. While The Smashing Machine will require physical work as well, featuring fighting stunts, the trailer makes it clear that the dramatic depths will be just as important, pushing Johnson into new acting terrain.
Our Take On The Smashing Machine
Johnson Is Transformed
Even in this two-and-a-half-minute preview, it is clear how immersed Johnson is in the role. The hair and makeup play a big part of this, as well as whatever physical training the actor did to look the part. Wearing a wig in several shots, Johnson looks very different from his typical appearance, in which he is bald. He is also physically huge, bulked up for the role and possibly assisted by additional cinematic tools. The physical metamorphosis will mirror the emotional one as Johnson becomes an intense on-screen version of Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine.
Source: A24