Black Adam ended Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's hopes to take over the DCEU, while his attempted foray into football with the XFL concluded with a whimper when it was forced to merge with the USFL.
Seeking to repair his image—his sitcom, Young Rock, was cancelled around the same time—Johnson returned to WWE. He received a mixed response from fans after attempting to hijack various storylines, and hasn't been seen in the ring since March. Now, he's focused on starring in the type of movies that have the potential to win him an Oscar.
Moving on from action roles, Johnson has signed up for various dramatic roles, starting with this weekend's A24 Mark Kerr biopic, The Smashing Machine.
Disney, meanwhile, is looking to increase excitement for December's Avatar: Fire and Ash with an Avatar: The Way of Water re-release. The twist? There will be three new preview clips for the threequel attached to the 2022 movie, but audiences won't know which one they're getting.
However, what neither Johnson nor Disney anticipated was some last-minute competition from singer Taylor Swift. Announced last month, Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl looks set to dominate North American theaters this weekend with an estimated $29 million - $31 million opening weekend.
Some estimates point to Swifties pushing the "movie" as high as $40 million, and it's taken premium large format screens from both The Smashing Machine and Avatar: The Way of Water.
The latter is only expected to add $3 million to its $2.3 billion haul this weekend, while the movie that Johnson hopes could see him nab an Oscar (or at least a nomination) is eyeing a $6 million - $7 million start behind One Battle After Another in its second weekend in theaters.
A movie doesn't need to be a box office hit to score awards, of course, but this will come as a blow to Johnson. Still, his status as a guaranteed fide box office draw is arguably behind him, and analysts are pointing fingers squarely at Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl for the UFC movie's drop from initial $20 million opening estimates.
The Smashing Machine has been awarded a B- CinemaScore from audiences, and has 73% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and 79% from audiences. For comparison's sake, Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl has an A+ CinemaScore and 98% on the Popcornmeter (only two reviews have been counted, both of which were positive).
What will you be heading to theaters to watch this weekend?