Christopher Nolan Praises Dwayne Johnson’s Performance in Box Office Flop “The Smashing Machine”
Christopher Nolan has stepped forward to show strong support for Dwayne Johnson’s latest movie The Smashing Machine, a film that’s been struggling to attract audiences despite critical buzz.
The Oscar-winning director recently appeared on The Director’s Cut podcast, where he spoke with filmmaker Benny Safdie about the project and had nothing but praise for Johnson’s performance.
Nolan, who won an Academy Award for Oppenheimer, called Johnson’s role as MMA fighter Mark Kerr “heartbreaking” and went on to say, “I think it’s an incredible performance. I don’t think you’ll see a better performance this year or most other years.”
The conversation between Nolan and Safdie was both friendly and full of admiration. The two worked together before — Nolan directed Safdie in Oppenheimer, which also featured Emily Blunt, who stars alongside Johnson in The Smashing Machine. Blunt plays Kerr’s wife, Dawn Staples, in the movie.
During the podcast, Nolan joked with Safdie about how he might have used his time on the Oppenheimer set to recruit his future cast. “I heard a rumor that when you were supposed to be learning your lines on my set, you were actually canvassing people to be in your movie,” Nolan said with a laugh. Then he added, “I wasn’t aware of that at the time, but it seems to have worked out great for you.”
Excited to share the official trailer for Benny Safdie’s THE SMASHING MACHINE, starring Dwayne Johnson and Academy Award nominee Emily Blunt.
— UFC (@ufc) April 29, 2025
In theaters October 3rd. pic.twitter.com/PmLIYnNWQM
On a more serious note, Nolan congratulated Safdie for making what he described as a bold and powerful film. “Congratulations on the movie,” he said. “It’s a really remarkable and radical piece of work that will be understood more and more over time. I’m very proud to know you.”
The Smashing Machine follows the life of real UFC fighter Mark Kerr, exploring his success in the ring and his personal battles with addiction and relationships.
The film earned Safdie the Best Director award at the Venice Film Festival, but it hasn’t found much success in theaters. It opened to about $5.9 million, marking one of the lowest openings in Dwayne Johnson’s career, and has only made around $10 million domestically against a $50 million budget.
Despite the disappointing numbers, Johnson remains proud of the film and what it represents for him as an actor. In a statement, he shared, “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.”
He also thanked Safdie, saying, “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 Christopher Nolan publicly praising Johnson’s work, the film could get a second look from audiences and critics. Nolan’s endorsement may even give Johnson’s Oscar campaign for Best Actor some new energy.
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