News Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's film about Mark Kerr is still getting made

[svmr_db]

December 13, 2023 11:00am

Dwayne Johnson will play Mark Kerr, the legendary MMA fighter from the no-holds barred era of UFC, in A24‘s The Smashing Machine.

The movie, which the studio is producing and financing, puts them back in business with Benny Safdie, who co-directed and co-wrote one of their big hits, Uncut Gems ($50 million at the domestic box office). Safdie also wrote the script for The Smashing Machine.

Johnson and Safdie have been collaborators on the project since Johnson’s Seven Bucks Productions acquired rights in 2019. The pic will follow Kerr’s struggle with addiction, winning, love and friendship in the year 2000.

Johnson and Dany Garcia’s Seven Bucks will produce alongside Safdie’s Out for the Count banner, Eli Bush and David Koplan.

Kerr is a former wrestler and mixed martial artist. During his MMA career he was a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion, World Vale Tudo Championship tournament winner, a Pride FC Heavyweight Champion, 1992 NCAA National Wrestling Champion, 1994 National Freestyle Champion and four-time ADCC World Submission Champion.

In 2003, Kerr was the subject of an HBO documentary The Smashing Machine, which detailed his MMA career fighting in Vale Tudo, the UFC and Pride.

Said Noah Sacco of A24, “Dwayne and Benny are singular talents, and their shared vision for Mark’s inspiring story is electrifying. We are deeply honored to have their trust as collaborators in bringing this incredibly special project to life.”

Johnson is represented by WME and Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman.

The project reps Safdie’s first directing project since Uncut Gems, which he co-helmed and co-wrote with his brother Josh. In the wake of the pic’s success, Benny Safdie has taken on a slew of acting roles in such projects as Oppenheimer, Licorice Pizza, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret and the Star Wars Disney+ series Obi-Wan. A24 is also released the Safdie brothers’ 2017 crime noir Good Time, which starred Robert Pattinson and made its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.

 

[CasualBot]

No-one will forget when this dropped the first time

 

[Contempt]

The fuck... he's like 50 and he is going to try and play a prime Kerr?

SMDH.

 

[BrockLesnarsTurtleBack]

Da hell is Mark Kerr?

 

[OldBoy91]

Expect it will be like Braveheart or The Patriot, or most Mel Gibson historical films. Almost entirely fiction.

Given all the lies about PRIDE and Kerr he spouted on the JRE.

 

[Blastbeat]

how the fuck are they gonna make him look like a young Mark Kerr? maybe CGI?
i dont have high hopes but let's see what happens.

 

[Get To Da Choppa]

In today's Hollywood, a prime Mark Kerr should be played by Queen Latifah

 

[MaulingMyClown]

Da hell is Mark Kerr?

Lmfao

 

[NoSmilez]

Dwayne Johnson better wear a wig to play Mark Kerr.

 

[Killer Kadoogan]

this is going to suck hardcore. now him talking about pride makes sense. trying to get some street cred.

 

[usernamee]

Didn't really see any new information in any of the links in TS post. So why did that come out now? No news on dates or anything?

 

[svmr_db]

Didn't really see any new information in any of the links in TS post. So why did that come out now? No news on dates or anything?

Click the picture on the 2nd tweet, it links to an article at Deadline posted by today. The movie will be directed by one of the Sadfie brothers who did Uncut Gems.

 

[blaseblase]

The Rock is only 3 years younger than Kerr.

 

[stronghulk]

Just bring The smashing machine documentary to Netflix.

 

[usernamee]

Click the picture on the 2nd tweet, it links to an article at Deadline posted by today. The movie will be directed by one of the Sadfie brothers who did Uncut Gems.

Yeah I read that, I guess I thought the director was already picked since a while back

 

[Elvis.]

This is like the emperor’s clothes to me , everyone realizes that he looks nothing like Kerr , the fuck , I hope they get Will Smith to play Royce Gracie in a movie

 

[modulus]

Seems as part of studying his role 'The Rock's' got a serious leg up on the whole PED's abuse aspect.


Whateves, there already was a Smashing Machine - loved it (well, there was a Lords of Dogtown after Dogtown and Z-Boys so why not I suppose).

 

[stronghulk]

 

[WoozyFailGuy]

Dunno why they'd have to make some biopic when Mark already has the perfect movie to his life here in Smashing Machine.
Money, of course, and hey if Mark is getting paid I'm happy, but it's laughable that the Rock, who could have been in Mark's high school yearbook, is going to play a prime Mark from 30 years ago. Dwayne Johnson will be this generations Steven Seagal eventually, mark my words.

 

[Neck&Neck]

Steve Kerr’s brother