Dwayne Johnson, a historically reliable box office star, recently ventured into a new genre, headlining A24’s Oscar-hopeful MMA biopic, The Smashing Machine. Also starring Emily Blunt, the film debuted to widespread critical acclaim earlier this year, earning Johnson a Golden Globe nomination. However, despite its positive critical reception, the movie underperformed significantly at the box office.

Directed and written by Benny Safdie, The Smashing Machine is inspired by a 2003 documentary detailing the life of MMA titan Mark Kerr, with Johnson portraying Kerr. The film, which carried a budget of $40 million, only grossed $21 million globally, failing to break even. This lukewarm financial performance was despite Johnson's heavy marketing efforts on social media.

Critically, the film initially garnered a flawless 100% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes at various film festivals over the summer. While this score has since adjusted to a still Certified Fresh 71%, audience reception on Popcornmeter was 74%, with many of Johnson’s fans expressing criticism for the film being too slow and lacking sufficient action.

Following its theatrical run, A24 has announced that The Smashing Machine will be available for streaming on HBO Max next year, beginning January 23. The film has a runtime of 123 minutes, with Beau Flynn, David Koplan, Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, and Hiram Garcia serving as producers.

Despite this career pivot towards more dramatic, Oscar-minded roles, Dwayne Johnson is not abandoning his blockbuster roots. He is currently filming the third installment of his hit action franchise, Jumanji, alongside Jack Black, Karen Gillan, and Kevin Hart. Furthermore, Johnson is expected to reprise his role as Luke Hobbs in the 11th and final Fast & Furious movie, slated to begin production early next year. Johnson aims to demonstrate his versatility and appeal across multiple film genres.

Director Benny Safdie and Johnson are also set to reunite for another Oscar-hopeful project titled Lizard Music, in which Johnson will play an older character. Safdie has also been active as an actor, with recent appearances in projects such as Happy Gilmore 2, Oppenheimer, and Obi-Wan Kenobi.