Despite positive reviews and award talk surrounding Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s performance in A24’s *The Smashing Machine*, the film hasn’t done well at the box office so far, earning just over $6 million – much less than anticipated. Johnson has now spoken about the film’s disappointing results, and shared what he learned from the experience, which he says will influence his future career choices.
Johnson shared on Instagram how thankful he is to everyone who watched ‘The Smashing Machine.’ He explained that while you can’t influence how well a movie does in theaters, you *can* control how fully you commit to your role and lose yourself in the character, and he’ll always embrace that challenge.
I was incredibly honored to work on this film for director Benny Safdie. Thank you for believing in me. Honestly, this movie has been a life-changing experience. With sincere gratitude, respect, and a lot of empathy, dj.
Moving Forward
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson says he loves fully immersing himself in a character, and while he has major blockbusters like *Fast & Furious 11*, *Jumanji 3*, and the live-action *Moana* coming up, he’s also interested in roles similar to his recent performance as Kerr. He took on similar character-driven roles earlier in his career, and it seems he may be looking to do that again.
Johnson has some positive things happening soon, despite his new film, *The Smashing Machine*, not being a box office success. Many films have flopped in theaters but still gone on to win major awards, and the same could happen for Johnson. Winning an Oscar would be a fantastic accomplishment, and it would recognize the effort put into *The Smashing Machine*.
Kofi Outlaw from ComicBook reviewed *The Smashing Machine*, noting it represents a strong return to form for Johnson and also highlighting the excellent direction by Benny Safdie. A portion of the review is available below.
The film *The Smashing Machine* seems to remind Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson of the satisfaction he felt early in his career, when he was eager to prove himself as a serious actor and fully immerse himself in a role. It’s a good reminder for audiences that beneath the larger-than-life persona of “The Rock” is a truly talented actor, Dwayne Johnson. And for director Benny Safdie, the film is another demonstration of his skill and vision as a filmmaker.
The Smashing Machine is in theaters now.
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2025-10-07 02:40