Dwayne Johnson & Benny Safdie A24 Mark Kerr MMA Biopic ‘The Smashing Machine’ Busts Its Way Into Fall

Billboard Women in Music 2025 EXCLUSIVE: A24 ‘s Dwayne Johnson starring, Benny Safdie directed The Smashing Machine about MMA fighter Mark Kerr has set a theatrical release date of Oct. 3. The news comes in the wake of Lionsgate’s Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, looking to vacate that date as it mulls a two-part.

The Smashing Machine pushes its way on a weekend against Paramount’s Derek Cianfrance directed Roofman starring Channing Tatum, and NEON’s next Oz Perkins horror film, The Keeper. That’s the quite the auteur brawl. Safdie also write and produced and Johnson’s co-star of The Jungle Cruise co-star Emily Blunt is also in the movie.



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Meanwhile, Mark’s girlfriend, Dawn Staples (Blunt) struggles as well to find her place in Mark’s chaotic and contradictory world. Producers include Safdie via his Out for the Count banner, and Johnson, Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia for Seven Bucks Productions, in addition to David Koplan and Eli Bush. During Kerr’s 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 4x ADCC World Submission Champion.

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