Great Behind-The-Scenes Featurette For Dwayne Johnson's THE SMASHING MACHINE

A24 has reelased a great new behind-the-scenes featurette for The Smashing Machine, the upcoming MMA sports drama from director Benny Safdie. It offers some interesting insight into the making of the film and include behind-the-scenes footage and also includes interviews with the cast and crew.

The movie follows legendary MMA fighter Mark Kerr, played by Dwayne Johnson, during the height of his UFC career in the early 2000s.

The story digs into Kerr’s struggles with addiction, success, and his complicated personal life. Starring alongside Johnson is Emily Blunt as Kerr’s girlfriend Dawn, who navigates the chaos of his world while trying to hold their relationship together.

The cast also features Lyndsey Gavin, Oleksandr Usyk, Ryan Bader, Satoshi Ishii, with Bas Rutten and Stephen Quadros.

In The Smashing Machine, “the story is focused on the trailblazing UFC, PRIDE, and VFC fighter Mark Kerr during the peak of his career in 2000. Detailing the good, the bad, and the ugly of his rise to the top of the sport.”

It looks like Safdie has made a solid film with his signature filmmaking and storytelling style. He worked closely with Kerr himself on the script.

It also loks like Johnson will deliver the best performance of his career in this movie. He physically transforms for the role, and early reactions point to both Johnson and Blunt as the film’s emotional core.

The film premiered at the 2025 Venice Film Festival where Safdie won Best Director, and it’s now headed to TIFF before hitting theaters on October 3, 2025.