New Trailer for A24’s THE SMASHING MACHINE with Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt
A24 has reelased a powerful new trailer for The Smashing Machine, the upcoming sports drama from director Benny Safdie. This marks Benny’s first solo feature without his brother Josh, and it’s already making a strong impression.
The film just 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.
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 appearing as themselves to add authentic fight-world grit.
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.”
Safdie brings his signature intensity to the film, working closely with Kerr himself on the script. Johnson transforms physically for the role, aided by impressive prosthetics that make him nearly unrecognizable, and early reactions point to both Johnson and Blunt as the film’s emotional core.
The Smashing Machine looks to be a raw and gripping character study that mixes high-stakes MMA action with the heartbreaking personal battles behind the cage.