Dwayne Johnson will be taking his most dramatic role to date in a new A24 project from one half of the Uncut Gems team, Benny Safdie.

Johnson is set to star in The Smashing Machine as real-life mixed martial arts fighter Mark Kerr, a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion. Safdie, who wrote and will direct the feature (his first solo directorial effort), has been developing the project with Johnson, who notably started his career as a professional wrestler, since 2019.

A 2002 HBO doc also titled The Smashing Machine details Kerr’s professional career and his rise through the fighting world, as well as his battle with an addiction to pain killers that lead to an overdose. Kerr earned the nickname “The Smashing Machine” due to no-holds-barred fighting style.

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