The Smashing Machine hit theaters this weekend, but it was far from the smash hit A24 and star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson were hoping for.
After taking in just $5.9 million from 3,345 theaters in North America, the movie delivered the lowest wide opening of Johnson’s career, and the WWE Superstar turned actor has now taken to Instagram to respond to the disappointing result.
"From deep in my grateful bones, thank you to everyone who has watched The Smashing Machine. In our storytelling world, you can’t control box office results — but what I realized you can control is your performance, and your commitment to completely disappear and go elsewhere. And I will always run to that opportunity. It was my honor to transform in this role for my director Benny Safdie @bowedtie. Thank you brother for believing in me."
The Smashing Machine received decent reviews, with high praise for Johnson's performance. But an A24 biopic about a man few outside the MMA fan community will be familiar with was always going to be a tough sell for general audiences, and the fact of the matter is, Johnson's name alone doesn't seem to be enough to sell a movie these days.
At one point, Johnson was a bona-fide box office draw, but Black Adam proved that his movies are far from bullet-proof. Is a return to more action-heavy blockbuster fare on the cards? It doesn't sound like this set-back has deterred Johnson from continuing to seek out smaller, more dramatic roles.
"Benny wants to create, and continues to push the envelope when it comes to stories that are raw and real, characters that are authentic and at times uncomfortable and arresting," Johnson previously said of the movie and director Benny Safdie. "I’m at a point in my career where I want to push myself in ways that I’ve not pushed myself in the past."
"I’m at a point in my career where I want to make films that matter, that explore humanity and explore struggle [and] pain.I want to be clear not to say that this is an abandonment of big, four-quadrant movies. I love making them, and there is tremendous value and importance in [them], but there’s a time and a place for them. I’m at this point in my career where I want more."
"And I don’t mean I want more box office. I mean, I want more humanity. And that is why Benny Safdie is the perfect, collaborative, hungry partner for me."
Have you been to see The Smashing Machine yet? Drop us a comment down below.
The movie's official synopsis reads: "MMA fighter Mark Kerr reaches the peak of his career but faces personal hardships along the way."