Whenever one hears Dwayne Johnson’s name, there are a lot of things that come to mind. Smashing villains left, right and center, taking on the unthinkable, and, occasionally, providing comic relief to a story. What you don’t associate him with are roles that receive critical acclaim, a performance that makes the critics sit up and take notice. But The Rock is looking to remedy that with his next movie, The Smashing Machine.
The first look of The Smashing Machine has fans excited
The first look of director Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine has just dropped. And fans are finding it hard to come to grips with the massive transformation undergone by the 52-year-old for playing celebrated MMA fighter Mark Kerr. Many couldn’t even recognize him after taking a peek.
The Rock will be joined by the likes of Emily Blunt, who will be essaying the role of Dawn Staples, Kerr’s wife. This will witness the reunion of the duo after they joined hands for Jungle Cruise. While the Oppenheimer star is all set to add a new dimension to the flick, it is The Rock’s performance and transformation that has piqued the fans’ interest.
Dwayne Johnson was all in for The Smashing Machine
Dwayne Johnson knows the potential that The Smashing Machine holds. The massive transformation he has undergone for the role is just a testament to his dedication. And he has known that for quite some time.
In an interaction with Variety, he shared why he is so invested in the project and what makes him believe that this could be the role he was looking for. Explaining his motivations, he said,
Benny wants to create, and continues to push the envelope when it comes to stories that are raw and real, characters that are authentic and at times uncomfortable and arresting. (Variety)
That wasn’t the only thing he had to say though.
Dwayne Johnson is looking to break character
Dwayne Johnson has been stereotyped as the muscle man (who is not a heavyweight when it comes to being smart) for a long time now. And he would love to break that streak. He continued,
“I’m at a point in my career where I want to push myself in ways that I’ve not pushed myself in the past. I’m at a point in my career where I want to make films that matter, that explore a humanity and explore struggle [and] pain.”
And even fans concur.
Twitterati believes that this could be a role that actually shows the world how versatile he can be.
I think one of the Safdie brothers is about to prove that The Rock can actually have range when he isn’t playing a caricature of himself.
— Alex Townley (@AlexTownley227) May 21, 2024
Let him cook
— Jacob (@JMMDCF) May 21, 2024
Looks interesting
— Will Coakley (@coakboy) May 21, 2024
I think one of the Safdie brothers is about to prove that The Rock can actually have range when he isn’t playing a caricature of himself.
— Alex Townley (@AlexTownley227) May 21, 2024
Fans of The Rock are all in for the project. For them, it’s a chance to recover from his past blemishes (especially Black Adam). The Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle star is all set to give this role his all.
The shooting is all set to come to an end somewhere around 1st August this year, with the movie likely to hit the theatres by Summer 2025.
