VENICE,Italy (AP) – Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has undergone a dramatic physical and emotional transformation to portray UFC heavyweight champion Mark Kerr in the film “The Smashing Machine,” currently competing for top honors at the 2025 Venice Film Festival. The film, directed by Josh and Benny Safdie, is generating critically important buzz for its raw and empathetic depiction of Kerr’s rise and struggles with addiction.
“The Smashing machine” is vying for the festival’s prestigious Golden Lion alongside films like “Frankenstein,” “Bugonia,” “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” “La Grazia,” and “No Other Choice.” The Venice Film Festival serves as a crucial launchpad for potential Oscar contenders, and the film’s reception could considerably impact Johnson’s career trajectory beyond his established action-star persona. Winners,including those in acting and directing categories,will be revealed on September 6.
According to the Safdie brothers,the film’s title is “a perfect onomatopoeia for something visual,conjuring images of domination and destruction with ease.” They emphasized thier commitment to authentically portraying Kerr and his partner, Dawn Staples, stating, “Dwayne, Emily and I kept thought ‘what is it like to really be Mark Kerr, what is it like to really be Dawn Staples?’ we wanted to empathize with thes characters in a way that felt like our own feelings… I wanted this movie to exist as a memory for everyone who watches it.”
“The Smashing Machine” is scheduled for a North American theatrical release on October 3. Further coverage of the 2025 Venice Film Festival can be found at https://apnews.com/hub/venice-film-festival.