Dwayne Johnson has candidly weighed in on the disappointing box office opening performance of his new film, The Smashing Machine.
The A24 sports biopic was released in North American theaters last weekend, but it failed to attract a large audience, opening with a tepid $6 million. It marked a career-low opening for Johnson, prompting questions among fans about whether he is still a box office draw today or if his movie star heyday is officially over.
What Does Dwayne Johnson Think of The Smashing Machine's Disappointing Box Office Opening?
In his recent Instagram post, Johnson reflected on the disappointing box office opening of The Smashing Machine and the media coverage surrounding it.
He noted that while he has no "control" over the box office results of the film, he still has gratitude for the people who watched it and reiterated that working on the project was a wonderful opportunity for him.
"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," the A-list actor wrote.
"And I will always run to that opportunity. It was my honor to transform in this role for my director Benny Safdie. Thank you brother for believing in me. Truth is this film has changed my life."
Some pundits have shared analysis regarding why The Smashing Machine underperformed at its box office. Some have stated that the competition with Taylor Swift: The Official Release of a Showgirl may have factored into its performance, while others theorized that the subject matter might not be appealing to the general audience.
What is The Smashing Machine About?
The Smashing Machine tells the story of legendary mixed martial arts and UFC fighter Mark Kerr. Benny Safdie wrote and directed the film.
Aside from Johnson, the cast also includes Emily Blunt, Ryan Rader, Bas Rutten, Oleksandr Usyk, and Lyndsey Gavin. The project hails from A24, marking Johnson's first collaboration with the indie powerhouse.
As of this writing, the film currently has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 73%, with the consensus noting that it is "a gritty biopic that sidesteps cliché even at the expense of narrative satisfaction while still landing the dramatic body blows that count."
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