The Mark Kerr biopic The Smashing Machine, which stars The Rock as the lead role, has set an unfortunate record for the former WWE Champion.
As reported by Variety, the A24 movie “bombed” after taking $6 million on opening weekend, far below the $50 million production cost to make the movie. The low sales may be a surprise to some given that the biopic on the former MMA fighter was well received by critics and there were also rumours that Rock could be in line for an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Mark Kerr.
It is also noted in the article that the ticket sales were a new career low for Dwayne Johnson’s acting career, unable to beat the previous lowest drawing movie Faster, which was released back in 2010.
“The Smashing Machine,” cratered in third place with $6 million from 3,345 venues. Those ticket sales were below projections of $8 million to $15 million and marked a career low for Johnson, below his 2010 thriller “Faster” ($8.5 million, not adjusted for inflation).
Speaking about the potential reason for the lower-than-expected figures at movie theatres, the article also adds that this is not a traditional Hollywood performance from The Rock, who is known for his big action franchises as opposed to niche, serious roles.
The Smashing Machine faced tough competition at the box office at it was released on the same day as Taylor Swift’s new album The Life of a Showgirl. To mark the release of the record, The Official Release Party of a Showgirl was shown in cinemas, netting $36 million in the United States and close to $50 million worldwide. Variety also adds that Taylor Swift’s cinema release is not a traditional concert movie, “but instead a 89-minute listening party that offers fans a look at a new music video and behind-the-scenes footage for her 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl.””
The Rock Suffered Injury Filming The Smashing Machine
With the Mark Kerr biopic heavily focusing on combat sports, multiple scenes involved the pro wrestler recreating some of the biggest fights of Kerr’s career. While speaking in an interview to promote the movie, The Rock admitted that he suffered a concussion while filming one of the biggest scenes for The Smashing Machine.
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