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The Smashing Machine starring Dwayne Johnson will have its North American premiere tonight at the Toronto Film Festival at 9:45 PM. There will also be a screening tomorrow at 7:30 PM.
Johnson will also be part of TIFF's "In Conversation With" series today at 2:30 PM. Promotional material for the appearance notes, "Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is truly one of a kind: the professional wrestler turned movie superstar has a powerful connection with his global fan base, which includes diehard adult wrestling fans, young Maui devotees, and everyone in between. Over the past two decades, Johnson has carefully sculpted his onscreen persona and career, headlining such box office hits as The Scorpion King (2002), various instalments in the Fast & Furious franchise (2011–2019), the Jumanji series (2017, 2019), and Disney juggernauts like the beloved Moana films (2016, 2024) and the action-adventure Jungle Cruise (2021). By putting the audience’s entertainment and enjoyment above all, Johnson has become one of the biggest stars on the planet. A disciplined athlete and performer who often portrays larger-than-life characters onscreen, Johnson’s magnanimity also extends to his support of countless charitable causes off-screen. While he has perfected his approach to blockbuster filmmaking and producing over the past two decades, in A24 and Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine, he portrays a different kind of character in a different kind of film. As we present the North American Premiere of this highly anticipated drama, Johnson joins us for an exclusive conversation about his journey from the ring to Hollywood, his work as a producer and co-owner of Seven Bucks Productions, and his creative collaboration with Safdie and longtime friend and co-star Emily Blunt to bring the true story of MMA legend Mark Kerr to the big screen."
The film is an adaptation of the 2002 documentary The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Mark Kerr.
Mark Kerr, now 57, won two UFC Heavyweight Tournaments, competed in the PRIDE Fighting Championship, was a NCAA Division I champion and a World Vale Tudo Championship tournament winner over the course of his MMA career. The 2002 documentary was acclaimed at the time of its release:
Johnson announced he would be portraying Kerr back in November 2019, but the project was obviously delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Rock's production company Seven Bucks is producing. Emily Blunt, who worked with The Rock on Disney's Jungle Cruise portrays Kerr's wife, Dawn Staples. The film finished production in summer 2024.
Benny Safdie, who co-directed and co-wrote the great Adam Sandler crime thriller Uncut Gems, wrote the screenplay and directed The Smashing Machine.
The film received a massive reaction at The Venice Film Festival in Italy last week.
It will be released theatrically next month.
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