The upcoming A24 biopic The Smashing Machine recently released its first trailer, and it showed our first look at Dwayne Johnson's transformation into UFC fighter Mark Kerr.
The film will tackle the story of Kerr's legendary career as a mixed martial arts and UFC fighter during his heyday and his relationship with then-wife Dawn Staples (played by Emily Blunt).
Here are the five reasons why we're looking forward to The Smashing Machine.
Dwayne Johnson's Dramatic Turn
After years of starring in big-budget action blockbusters, Dwayne Johnson is taking a full dramatic turn in The Smashing Machine, and fans see it as a test of whether he can successfully star in this type of project.
Based on what we've seen in the trailer, Johnson looks unrecognizable as Mark Kerr, and he really transformed into the character without any semblance of his "The Rock" persona.
Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt Reunion
The Smashing Machine will mark Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt's reunion after starring together in Jungle Cruise a few years ago.
The press tour for the Disney film proved that Johnson and Blunt have great chemistry, and it is interesting to see how it plays out again in the upcoming film, where they will deal with darker themes and storyline for their characters' relationship.
Benny Safdie's First Solo Directorial Effort
After collaborating with his brother Josh in multiple films, Benny Safdie is going solo on The Smashing Machine, and it would mark his first individual directorial effort.
Fans of the Safdie brothers are interested to see how a solo Benny movie would play out and what kind of oeuvre he has now that he is sitting in the director's chair alone.
Potential Oscar Contender
The Smashing Machine is being seen as a potential Oscar contender, considering that it has an awards-friendly release date of October 6 this year.
While it remains to be seen whether the film will deliver the quality that we might be hoping for, there is already hope that this could lead to Johnson getting his first Oscar nomination and getting taken seriously as an actor.
Trailer Suggests It Will Be a Unique Biopic
The trailer that they recently released suggested that The Smashing Machine will be a unique biopic with a stylish telling of Mark Kerr's story and does not lean towards the usual narrative style that we expect in the genre.
Some audiences may already be fatigued with biopics due to their predictable structure, but the upcoming film may likely entice them as they are showing signs that it will be different than anything else.
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