When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.<\/i><\/p>\n Credit: A24<\/p>\n Plenty of coming A24 movies<\/u><\/a> have sparked attention this year, but one of the most notable is Benny Safdie\u2019s sports biopic, <\/u>The Smashing Machine<\/u><\/a>. The October-bound film stars Dwayne Johnson as MMA legend Mark Kerr and tells the story of his career, addictions and relationship with Dawn Staples. For the role, Johnson agreed to dramatically bulking up to better portray the two-time UFC champ. Emily Blunt, who plays Staples, remembers his transformation completely in awe.<\/p>\n Though the film hasn\u2019t had its public debut, the MMA biopic has been garnering a lot of attention. Its first screening was held at The Venice International Film Festival and there Johnson received a 15 minute standing ovation<\/u><\/a>. Critics have agreed with the sentiment, praising the wrestler turned actor\u2019s performance “scarily unstable”<\/u><\/a>. Now, in A24\u2019s Official First Look<\/u><\/a> of The Smashing Machine, Blunt recalls the surreal process of her fellow A-lister\u2019s blockbuster appearance vanish:<\/p>\n The physical transformation gave me goosebumps, like jaw\u2019s dropped. To see this person who is never allowed to disappear, completely disappear.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The footage certainly showcases a Mark Kerry-worthy version but I can\u2019t imagine watching The Rock\u2019s bulk up in real time. I\u2019m not surprised the Oppenheimer actress said, \u201cjaw\u2019s dropped\u201d and she got goosebumps then. Since we\u2019ve seen him mostly in big action movies (which consistently deliver) being able to totally transform into a character<\/u><\/a> is a big deal. I just can\u2019t imagine the Jungle Crew alum watching her co-star commit while also navigating \u200b\u200bportraying Dawn Staples honorably<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n Director Benny Safdie also jumped in to talk about why he asked the Jumanji actor to build muscle on top of muscle for the role. He stated the reason was to better reflect Kerr\u2019s physical appearance, and Johnson, after agreeing to it, ran away with it. Safdie shared of the brief but scene-changing conversation:<\/p>\n I had to say to him \u2018Can you bulk up for it?\u2019 Which is a crazy thing to ask him, but Mark was a big guy. DJ became a different person.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n It\u2019s honestly crazy to think anyone is bigger and more built than the Moana actor. But if you look at pictures from the height of Kerr\u2019s career, his physical and general presence really do look larger than life. Thankfully, the weight aspect of the character whole didn\u2019t distract from his positive experience for Johnson, as it helped him process past struggles<\/u><\/a> both professionally and personally.<\/p>\n I\u2019m glad that the trio of The Smashing Machine peers are through filming and they\u2019re starting to hype the buzzy film. As mentioned, it\u2019ll hit theaters nationwide October 3, but, they won\u2019t have much down time as this flick releases.<\/p>\n Dwayne Johnson as Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine<\/p>\n One Tiny Detail About The Smashing Machine Just Made Me Even More Hyped For The Upcoming Dwayne Johnson Movie<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n All have multiple projects in the works and at least one title slated for the 2026 movie guide<\/u><\/a>. Johnson\u2019s releases include the latest Moana and Jumanji, Blunt has The Devil Wears Prada 2 and the untitled Steven Spielberg flick, while Safdie will be in The Odyssey.<\/p>\n<\/span><\/div>\n
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