Social media users are pretty sure they can smell what the Rock is cooking.
On Tuesday, the entertainment company A24 released a still from its upcoming film “The Smashing Machine,” which stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as real-life mixed martial arts champion Mark Kerr. And when the photo of Johnson hit social media, people were shocked by how different he looked.
Kerr co-wrote the “Smashing Machine” screenplay with “Uncut Gems” filmmaker Benny Safdie, who is also directing the biopic. Emily Blunt will play Dawn Staples, Kerr’s girlfriend. (It’ll be a reunion for Blunt and Johnson, who co-starred in “Jungle Cruise” in 2021.) The movie is set to release next year.
In 2002, HBO released a documentary about the former fighter, also called “The Smashing Machine,” that detailed Kerr’s problems with substance misuse and highlighted the early days of MMA, when the sport was significantly more brutal than it is today.
Following the reveal of Tuesday’s image, some folks on X, formerly known as Twitter, had a somewhat cynical take on Johnson’s intentions in tackling a role as meaty as Kerr’s life story.
Given that Johnson began his career in wrestling ― and that his time as an actor has mostly been spent in comedies, kid-friendly flicks and action movies ― some people saw his transformation for a more dramatic role as a transparent attempt to snag some sweet, sweet awards cred.
Still, there were fans who defended the “Black Adam” star:
Whatever “The Smashing Machine” turns out to be, we can at least give Johnson props for matching the look of the real-life Kerr:
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Now, will the role actually score Johnson an Oscar nomination? We have no idea. But we’ll let the Rock have the last word on that one.