Dwayne Johnson’s New MMA Movie Sets All-Time Box Office Low For Star

The Smashing Machine is projected to hit a record box office low for A-list movie star Dwayne Johnson. Dwayne Johnson movies are never guaranteed smash hits, but the WWE wrestler turned Hollywood superstar has multiple billion-dollar тιтles under his belt (including Furious 7 and Moana 2), and his movies have collectively grossed more than $15 billion.

Per ᴅᴇᴀᴅline, as of Saturday morning, his new Mark Kerr biopic The Smashing Machine is projected to earn a 3-day opening weekend of $6.2 million at the domestic box office. The MMA movie, which was directed by Benny Safdie, is thus set to earn the lowest opening weekend ever for a wide release with Dwayne Johnson in a lead role.

Johnson’s previous record-holder was the 2010 action movie Faster, which debuted with $8.5 million and went on to gross $35.8 million worldwide. If The Smashing Machine continues on its current trajectory relative to Faster, it could leg out to a total considerably below its reported budget of $50 million.

What This Means For Dwayne Johnson

While this low opening weekend strikes a blow to the perception of how much of a draw Dwayne Johnson is at the box office, there are a lot of complicating factors that will likely prevent 2025’s The Smashing Machine from being a legitimate flop.

The first is that the movie is a biographical drama, so it is not designed to perform at the level of Johnson’s IP blockbusters such as Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and The Fate of the Furious. Quite a few of his other movies that opened below $20 million are similarly small-scale non-IP тιтles, including Snitch ($13.2 million) and Gridiron Gang ($14.4 million).

Additionally, his new outing has been performing well critically, with The Smashing Machine reviews earning it a Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score of 73%. It has also generated a great deal of Oscar buzz for Johnson after its premiere at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.

If it does become a major Oscar contender, this will not only give it a second life in theaters during the 2025-2026 awards season, this will alleviate the majority of its budget considerations, because an Oscar nomination would be another feather in the cap of its production company and distributor, A24, which would likely be deemed worth the expenditure.

Dwayne Johnson’s 2026 follow-up to The Smashing Machine is also a movie that is more or less guaranteed to perform well: the live-action remake of Moana. In the wake of both Moana 2 and the live-action Lilo & Sтιтch surpᴀssing $1 billion, it seems set to be a hit that will reᴀssert his ability to connect with theatrical audiences.

Enjoy ScreenRant’s box office coverage? Click below to sign up for my weekly box office newsletter (make sure to check “Box Office” in your preferences) and get exclusive analysis, predictions, and more:

Sign Up

Related Posts

0M Zombie Movie Becomes Netflix Global Hit Ahead Of Sequel Release

$150M Zombie Movie Becomes Netflix Global Hit Ahead Of Sequel Release

28 Years Later has become a streaming success months after its theatrical premiere. The movie, which is the third installment in the post-apocalyptic horror franchise following the…

10 Forgotten Movies Everyone Should Watch At Least Once

10 Forgotten Movies Everyone Should Watch At Least Once

It’s shocking just how many fantastic films fly under the radar, with most mainstream viewers having never even heard of them. Even incredible movies by all-time great…

10 Great Movies That Inspired Classic Rock & Metal Songs (#2 Is A Guitar Anthem)

10 Great Movies That Inspired Classic Rock & Metal Songs (#2 Is A Guitar Anthem)

Music and movies have always been paired, and many classic rock and metal songs were directly inspired by some of the best films of all time. Inspiration…

Underseen 89% Horror Movie Is Finally Available On Streaming & Is A Must Watch

Underseen 89% Horror Movie Is Finally Available On Streaming & Is A Must Watch

Bring Her Back is now available on streaming, meaning a broader audience can check out one of the best films of 2025. Directed by Danny and Michael…

DCU’s Batman Movie Changes Set It Up To Continue The Worst 28-Year-Long Trend

DCU’s Batman Movie Changes Set It Up To Continue The Worst 28-Year-Long Trend

The new update about the DC Universe’s Batman movie changes set up the film to repeat a painful 28-year-long trend for the Caped Crusader’s movie world. While…

Dog POV Horror Movie Director Already Has Ideas For A Canine-Centric Sequel

Dog POV Horror Movie Director Already Has Ideas For A Canine-Centric Sequel

On October 3, writer-director Ben Leonberg released his feature debut, Good Boy, a supernatural horror film centered on a loyal dog named Indy who moves into a…