The Smashing Machine: Release date news, cast details and more about the biographical sports drama starring Dwayne Johnson

The Rock aka Dwayne Johnson will soon be back to the big screens with his biographical sports drama The Smashing Machine by A24. Benny Safdie is at the helm of the project alongside Johnson himself (as producer) and the film is set for an October release this year.

The Smashing Machine will follow the journey of former MMA wrestler Mark Kerr who rose to glory back in the day and also earned quite some recognition in the UFC Heavyweight Tournament (he became a two-time champion). Dwayne Johnson will portray Mark Kerr as he is joined by co-star Emily Blunt in the role of Dawn Staples (Mark's wife at that time). The official synopsis of the movie, per IMDb, reads:

"The story of mixed-martial arts and UFC champion Mark Kerr."

When will The Smashing Machine be released?

On October 3, 2025, The Smashing Machine will hit theatres across the United States and A24 is currently holding the distribution rights. Filming commenced back in May 2024 covering multiple locations across Vancouver, New Mexico, and Tokyo and was wrapped by August.

What do we know about the story of The Smashing Machine?

The Smashing Machine will center on the chronicles of two-time UFC heavyweight champion Mark Kerr, famous for his deadly 'ground and pound' move. His career spanned from the late 90s to 2009 and Mark dominated the sport for quite some time.

The upcoming biographical movie will reportedly feature his days as a wrestler and the kind of intense training that he undertook to reach his goal. Mark has also bagged 4 ADCC World Championship titles during his fighting career - not to mention his winning streak in a highly competitive and dangerous tournament like UFC.

Earlier in 2002, a documentary (The Smashing Machine by HBO) on Mark Kerr and his journey as a wrestler was released that garnered quite some attention from the audience. Now a film going by the same name is gearing to hit the box-office this fall. Mark Kerr, during his days, has also participated in other PRIDE FC, World Vale Tudo - not to mention his commendable job at the Wrestling World Cup.

The 2002 docufilm also left glimpses of Mark's ups and downs in his personal life (including his relationship with his trainers as well as love interests). It also explored his dark side related to dependence on substance and how he struggled to overcome it. The film The Smashing Machine might also take us through the difficult side of Mark's journey though any further details about the plot are being kept under the wraps.

Per Variety, lead star Dwayne Johnson reportedly opened up about his upcoming biopic in a statement, saying:

"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."

Who is in the cast of The Smashing Machine?

Dwayne Johnson, commonly known as The Rock, will lead the cast of The Smashing Machine playing the role of heavyweight wrestling champion Mark Kerr. The role of Mark's then-wife will be portrayed by Academy Award-nominated actress Emily Blunt.

Another well-known face from UFC, Mark Coleman will also be featured in the film and Ryan Bader will play the part. Former MMA wrestler Bas Rutten will portray himself in The Smashing Machine. Among others in the cast, we have:

Lyndsey Gavin in the role of Elizabeth Coleman
Oleksandr Usyk playing the part of Igor Yaroslavovych Vovchanchyn, former MMA artist from Ukraine
James Moontasri in the part of Akira Shoji, returned MMA player from Japan
Andre Tricoteu in the role of Paul Varelans, late MMA artist from the US
Satoshi Ishii playing the part of Enson Inoue, jiui-jitsu practitioner who is also an ex-MMA artist from Japan