What does “The Final Boss” think of his new film, “The Smashing Machine,” tanking at the box office?
Let’s find out!
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson surfaced via social media on Monday afternoon to release a statement reacting to The Mark Kerr biopic earning only $6 million over its opening weekend, finishing third overall behind two other major releases.
For those who missed our report on Sunday, the $50 million film landed behind Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl, which dominated the weekend with more than $33 million, as well as One Battle After Another, which brought in $11 million.
Industry insider media outlet Variety reported that The Smashing Machine’s debut represented the lowest opening weekend of Johnson’s movie career.
The Rock took to his official Instagram page to release the following statement regarding the story:
From deep in my grateful bones, thank you to everyone who has watched “The Smashing Machine”.
In our storytelling world, you can’t control box office results — but what I realized you can control is your performance, and your commitment to completely disappear and go elsewhere.
And I will always run to that opportunity.
It was my honor to transform in this role for my director Benny Safdie @bowedtie. Thank you brother for believing in me.
Truth is this film has changed my life.
With deep gratitude, respect and radical empathy,
dj
📸: @ericzachanowich
Despite the soft box office numbers, The Smashing Machine has been faring better with critics and fans alike. The film currently holds a 74% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 223 critic reviews, along with a 78% audience score based on more than 250 fan reviews — earning it a “Certified Fresh” distinction.
The movie, which stars Johnson as former UFC and PRIDE fighter Mark Kerr, has been praised for its raw, emotional storytelling and Johnson’s performance in a much grittier, more dramatic role than his usual blockbuster fare.
The Smashing Machine movie featuring the performance by The Rock that he hoped would lead to more serious acting roles in his future, is based on an HBO documentary on Mark Kerr from the early 2000s, which chronicled his rise to the top of MMA, while dealing with a growing drug addiction and increasing domestic issues along the way.
