Dwayne Johnson Reflects on ‘The Smashing Machine’ Box Office
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has expressed that he is unfazed by the modest box office results of his recent film, ‘The Smashing Machine’. He shared these thoughts during a Hollywood Reporter podcast recorded for 500 students at Chapman University.
Johnson explained his motivation for taking on the project, a biopic about former MMA and UFC champion Mark Kerr, inspired by the 2002 documentary of the same name.
“Smashing Machine also represents a turning point in my career that I’ve wanted for a long time. For the first time in my career… I made a film to challenge myself and to really rip myself open and to go elsewhere and disappear and transform, and not one time did I think about box office.”
Although the film was met with critical acclaim, it earned just over $20 million worldwide ($11.3 million domestic and $8.8 million international), marking the lowest total for a movie led by Johnson.
He reflected on Hollywood’s usual preoccupation with profits and how he consciously set that aside for this project.
“I had not thought about that at all. And even that Friday night when we opened, I went to sleep peacefully and woke up peacefully because it represented this thing.”
Summary
Johnson views ‘The Smashing Machine’ as a personal and artistic milestone, prioritizing transformation and authenticity over commercial success.