Well, it looks like even The Rock can’t always smell what’s cooking at the box office. Dwayne Johnson‘s latest film, The Smashing Machine, stumbled hard in its opening weekend with a disappointing $6 million debut – marking the actor’s lowest opening ever. But here’s the thing: Johnson isn’t letting the numbers get him down.
Taking to Instagram on Monday, the superstar shared a heartfelt message with fans, writing, “From deep in my grateful bones, thank you to everyone who has watched The Smashing Machine.” Instead of dwelling on what he can’t control, Johnson focused on what really matters to him as an artist.
“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,” he explained in his post. For Johnson, this film represents a major artistic departure from his usual action-packed blockbusters and family-friendly franchises.
The box office showing is especially tough considering A24 spent $50 million to produce The Smashing Machine, and early tracking suggested a much stronger opening. Just a few weeks ago, the film was projected to debut around $20 million, which would have been respectable for an awards-focused drama. Reality turned out quite different.
What’s interesting is that audiences didn’t exactly rush to see Dwayne Johnson in such a different light. The film earned a B- CinemaScore from moviegoers, suggesting that many of Johnson’s typical fans might have been thrown off by his dramatic transformation. Playing UFC fighter Mark Kerr required the actor to gain weight and wear extensive prosthetics – a far cry from his usual roles.
Still, Johnson remained gracious about director Benny Safdie’s vision. “It was my honor to transform in this role for my director, Benny Safdie,” he concluded. “Thank you brother for believing in me.”
Earlier in the week, Johnson had already hinted at his perspective, saying, “Truth is this film has changed my life,” suggesting that personal growth and artistic fulfillment matter more than ticket sales.
The film’s journey has been a rollercoaster. At the Venice Film Festival, The Smashing Machine received a 15-and-a-half-minute standing ovation, bringing Johnson to tears and generating serious Oscar buzz. Critics have been relatively kind too, with Rotten Tomatoes showing 74% positive reviews from critics.
EDITOR’S PICKS
Chord Overstreet’s $100K secret: The Playgirl photoshoot that never saw daylight
The husband of the viral Coldplay kiss cam couple was also on a date at the same concert
