Hollywood superstar Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson may have dominated action screens for decades, but his latest project, ‘The Smashing Machine,’ faced a rocky start at the box office.
The film, which chronicles the life of MMA star Mark Kerr, grossed just $6 million domestically in its opening weekend — marking the lowest debut of Johnson’s illustrious career. The figure is especially striking given the movie’s $50 million budget.
Taking to Instagram, the 53-year-old reflected on the experience, writing:
“From deep in my grateful bones, thank you to everyone who has watched ‘The Smashing Machine’. In our storytelling world, you can’t control box office results — but what I realized you can control is your performance, and your commitment to completely disappear and go elsewhere. And I will always run to that opportunity.”
Johnson continued, praising director Benny Safdie for the opportunity.
“It was my honor to transform in this role for my director Benny Safdie. Thank you brother for believing in me. Truth is this film has changed my life. With deep gratitude, respect and radical empathy.”
Despite the modest opening, Johnson’s focus remains on the craft and the transformative power of storytelling — proving that box office numbers aren’t the only measure of success.
