UFC News & FeaturesVideo: 'The Rock,' Mark Kerr Receive Ovation at 'The Smashing Machine' Screening
“The Smashing Machine” is generating plenty of hype ahead of its
theater release.
The Mark Kerr biopic was recently screened at the Venice Film Festival with Dwayne “The Rock" Johnson, Kerr, Emily Blunt and director Benny Safdie in attendance. At its conclusion, the film received a 15-minute ovation that left Kerr and Johnson in tears. According to Variety, it was one of the longest ovations at the festival this year.
Produced by A24, the biopic chronicles the mixed martial arts journey of Kerr, who rose to fame while competing in the UFC and Pride Fighting Championships before being derailed by opoid addiction. The film is based on the 2002 documentary of the same name.
Johnson recently revealed to Vanity Fair the extensive transformation that was required for him to portray Kerr in the movie.
“I just sat in front of that mirror for three to four hours and watched it all change,” Johnson said. “There were about 13 or 14 different prosthetics. Subtle, yet I think very impactful. By the time I got to set, I was Mark Kerr and I felt it, from how he walked to how he talked and how he looked at life.”
“The Smashing Machine” is scheduled for an Oct. 3 release in theaters and stars Emily Blunt as Kerr’s ex-wife, Dawn Staples. Ex-Bellator MMA champion Ryan Bader will play Mark Coleman, who helped Kerr turn his career around, and boxing heavyweight title holder Oleksandr Usyk stars as former Kerr opponent Igor Vovchanchyn. Meanwhile, Bas Rutten will play himself in the film. Other fighters such as Satoshi Ishii, James Moontasri and Roberto Abreu also make cameos in the movie.
Kerr, a two-time UFC heavyweight tournament winner, was inducted into the promotion’s Hall of Fame this past summer.
The Mark Kerr biopic was recently screened at the Venice Film Festival with Dwayne “The Rock" Johnson, Kerr, Emily Blunt and director Benny Safdie in attendance. At its conclusion, the film received a 15-minute ovation that left Kerr and Johnson in tears. According to Variety, it was one of the longest ovations at the festival this year.
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Dwayne Johnson's new film "The Smashing Machine" earned a 15-minute standing ovation on the Lido, one of the longest at this year’s Venice Film Festival so far.https://t.co/3ldQohBeTZ pic.twitter.com/2loY7vfELA
— Variety (@Variety) September 1, 2025
Is the Rock headed to the Oscars?Dwayne Johnson cries as #Venezia82 erupts in a 15-minute standing ovation for ‘The Smashing Machine.’ pic.twitter.com/B1OsOspuXL
— Ramin Setoodeh (@RaminSetoodeh) September 1, 2025
Produced by A24, the biopic chronicles the mixed martial arts journey of Kerr, who rose to fame while competing in the UFC and Pride Fighting Championships before being derailed by opoid addiction. The film is based on the 2002 documentary of the same name.
'The Rock' Underwent Extensive Transformation to Play Kerr
Johnson recently revealed to Vanity Fair the extensive transformation that was required for him to portray Kerr in the movie.
“I just sat in front of that mirror for three to four hours and watched it all change,” Johnson said. “There were about 13 or 14 different prosthetics. Subtle, yet I think very impactful. By the time I got to set, I was Mark Kerr and I felt it, from how he walked to how he talked and how he looked at life.”
“The Smashing Machine” is scheduled for an Oct. 3 release in theaters and stars Emily Blunt as Kerr’s ex-wife, Dawn Staples. Ex-Bellator MMA champion Ryan Bader will play Mark Coleman, who helped Kerr turn his career around, and boxing heavyweight title holder Oleksandr Usyk stars as former Kerr opponent Igor Vovchanchyn. Meanwhile, Bas Rutten will play himself in the film. Other fighters such as Satoshi Ishii, James Moontasri and Roberto Abreu also make cameos in the movie.
Kerr, a two-time UFC heavyweight tournament winner, was inducted into the promotion’s Hall of Fame this past summer.
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