Summary
Dwayne Johnson injures his elbow while filming his new wrestling movie,The Smashing Machine. Johnson stars in the upcoming biographical drama as the wrestler and mixed martial artist Mark Kerr alongside Emily Blunt, Lyndsey Gavin, Oleksandr Usyk, Ryan Bader, and Zoe Kosovic. The A24 drama is written anddirected by Benny Safdie, marking his solo directorial debut after co-directingGood TimeandUncut Gemswith his brother Josh, both films from A24.
Now, shortly after production started in late May,Dwayne Johnsonshared a video on Instagram showing off an elbow injury that he sustained while filmingThe Smashing Machine. Watch the video below:
In the video, Johnson shows off his injury which looks like a “cantaloupe in his elbow,” speculating whether there might be some soft tissue damage, though he will need to drain the fluid before getting an MRI to determine the extent of the injury. Johnson seemed to be in good spirits in the video, so it doesn’t seem the injury is too serious or will delay production significantly, if at all.
The Smashing Machineis expected to wrap filming in early August, though it remains to be seen if Johnson’s elbow injury delays production.
The Smashing Machine Marks A Major Departure For Dwayne Johnson (In More Ways Than One)
He’s Doing His Own Stunts Again
In December 2023, it was revealed that The Rock would depart from his typical roles to tackle his most dramatic project to date by playing Mark Kerr in an A24 film from Benny Safdie. Over his career, Johnson has cultivated his image with action movies such as theFast & Furiousfranchise,Skyscraper, andRampage. He’s also taken on comedic roles, often blending humor with his action-hero persona in movies likeCentral Intelligence,Jumnaji, andThe Tooth Fairy.
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However,The Smashing Machinemarks a major departure from Johnson’s typical roles. It will certainly be his most dramatic role yet, as the A24 film follows the life of Mark Kerr, a wrestler and MMA fighter who experienced a lot of struggle and hardship over his life and career, including addiction. Johnson has called Mark Kerr the hardest role of his career, both dramatically and physically.
The Smashing Machinedoesn’t only mark a major departure for Johnson dramatically, but also physically. Since he sustained an elbow injury while filming,it seems that Johnson is doing his own stunts again. Though the action star used to do many of his own stunts, now in his early 50s, he hasn’t done so since 2018’sSkyscraper. OnThe Smashing Machine, it seems that Johnson, a professional wrestler himself, is performing his own stunts again in order to make his performance feel more authentic.
The Smashing Machine
Cast
The Smashing Machine is a documentary film that delves into the life of Mark Kerr, an athlete celebrated as a dominant ultimate fighter from 1999 to 2001. The film explores Kerr’s struggles with physical injuries and addiction, painting a stark portrait of his personal and professional challenges during this period.
