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Indie Darling Dwayne Johnson to star in A24’s The Smashing Machine

Photo: Timothy Norris/FilmMagic

Dwayne “the Rock†Johnson is starring in a film written and directed by Benny “the one in Oppenheimer†Safdie. The Smashing Machine will star Johnson as UFC fighter Mark Kerr, the subject of a documentary by the same name in 2002. Johnson’s Seven Bucks shingle acquired the rights in 2019, and now A24 has signed on to finance and produce. “Dwayne and Benny are singular talents, and their shared vision for Mark’s inspiring story is electrifying,†A24’s Noah Sacco said in a statement obtained by IndieWire. “We are deeply honored to have their trust as collaborators in bringing this incredibly special project to life.†This is the first solo directing effort by Safdie, occurring around the same time as Josh Safdie’s upcoming reunion with Adam Sandler.

Dwayne Johnson, Benny Safdie Collab on The Smashing Machine