The Smashing Machine featurette: Dwayne Johnson taps into UFC legend Mark Kerr

The Smashing Machine is only a few weeks away from its theatrical release, the hype of which has been amplified exponentially based on its fest run, winning the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and more recently having a successful screening at TIFF. Now, A24 is going all in on what will certainly be their awards darling, releasing a first look featurette.

In the featurette, A24 takes us behind the scenes of The Smashing Machine, with special focus on both subject Mark Kerr and his portrayer, Dwayne Johnson. As Johnson puts it, “He was the greatest fighter on the planet. And in many ways, he was invincible. My own life experiences allowed me to live in Mark’s skin and know what it’s like – the pressure to perform, destroying your body every single night…I was just so happy that we could shine a light on the legacy that’s left.”

As huge of a dude Johnson is, director Benny Safdie – making his solo directorial debut away from brother Josh – actually asked him to bulk up even more, which really says something about the size of Kerr. And the way Safdie tells it, Johnson delivered. “I saw it in his eyes. He accessed something where he put himself in Kerr’s body. That level of dedication, he went all in.”

The footage of The Smashing Machine also shows various clips that we haven’t seen yet, with some in-ring footage of Johnson as Kerr in the ring celebrating, in the gym working out and in bed with his wife, Dawn (Emily Blunt).

Out of its Toronto International Film Festival screening, our own Chris Bumbray gave The Smashing Machine a 9/10, concluding that it “should prove to be a success for A24 in every way once it gets its theatrical release, as critics will respect it while Johnson’s many fans will be dying to see him in something so different from the rest of his filmography.” The Smashing Machine hits theaters on October 3rd.

How do you think The Smashing Machine will fare when it comes to major award nominations? Is Dwayne Johnson a lock for a Best Actor nod?

The post The Smashing Machine featurette: Dwayne Johnson taps into UFC legend Mark Kerr appeared first on JoBlo.