Watch the First Look at Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine, Starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt

Dwayne Johnson transforms into MMA legend Mark Kerr in Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine.

“I’ll never forget that call.”

IMAX has dropped a striking behind-the-scenes first look at The Smashing Machine, the upcoming drama from writer-director Benny Safdie, starring Dwayne Johnson as legendary UFC fighter Mark Kerr. In the footage, Safdie walks viewers through the physical and emotional demands of the role—alongside commentary from co-star Emily Blunt—while Johnson’s near-unrecognizable transformation plays out in raw, stripped-down detail.

The Smashing Machine is slated to become a landmark release for several reasons. Not only does it mark a tonal and physical shift for Johnson, it is also the first-ever 16mm feature shot and projected in IMAX, premiering September 22 in select North American cities. The format—gritty, intimate, and overwhelmingly physical—suits the world of early MMA and the brutal legacy of Kerr, a former heavyweight champion whose career was defined as much by pain as it was by power.

In the first-look teaser, Johnson sheds the “franchise-ready” polish we’ve come to expect and leans fully into a raw, broken portrayal of Kerr. What’s striking isn’t just the physical bulk added to his already massive frame, but the vulnerability. As Safdie notes in the teaser, the performance required an internal transformation as much as a physical one—and Blunt backs that up, calling the process “emotionally grueling” but necessary.

The film, produced in part by A24, arrives at a cultural moment when MMA—once derided as bloodsport—is now mainstream entertainment. For longtime fans of the sport, The Smashing Machine promises more than stylized octagon action; it offers a grounded, character-driven exploration of one of the sport’s most tragic and compelling pioneers. And for those newer to MMA or still on the fence, Safdie’s lens appears focused on empathy, pain, and the violent cost of glory.

If this first look is any indication, Johnson may be heading into the most vulnerable and layered role of his career—a far cry from the indestructible action figures of his past, and a move that could reshape how audiences and awards voters alike view his range.

The Smashing Machine premieres in IMAX in select cities on September 22, 2025, with a wide theatrical release from A24 following in October.