A24 debuts The Smashing Machine trailer starring Dwayne Johnson

A24 on Tuesday released a new trailer for The Smashing Machine, the Benny Safdie written and directed biopic that stars Dwayne Johnson as former mixed martial arts star Mark Kerr and co stars Emily Blunt as Kerrs onetime partner Dawn Staples. The film, which had its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, is scheduled to open in U.S. theaters on October 3, 2025, and is already drawing awards season buzz after festival acclaim and early box office tracking.

Set around the year 2000, the drama traces Kerrs rise in the no holds barred era of MMA and the personal toll of his success, including struggles with addiction and fraught relationships away from the cage, according to the studio synopsis and the new trailer. The second teaser shifts some focus onto Blunt, whose portrayal of Dawn anchors much of the film’s emotional core, while Johnson’s performance emphasizes the fighter’s outward calm and the rage beneath it. Safdie, who also served as a producer and editor, blends kinetic fight sequences with intimate character moments, according to early reviews.

The ensemble includes prominent fighters and athletes in supporting roles, among them Oleksandr Usyk, Ryan...