Despite a huge promotional push and buzz that The Rock delivered an Oscar-worthy performance, WWE and MMA fans had no interest in going to see The Smashing Machine this weekend.
If you are a WWE or UFC fan, you were well aware that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s new movie, The Smashing Machine was making its wide-release debut this weekend. The wrestling legend is a board member of TKO Group Holdings, and the company made sure to push his biopic about MMA great Mark Kerr during UFC and WWE content over the last couple of weeks.
However, all that effort and notable awards season buzz did nothing to encourage folks to go out to the theater and check out the movie. According to Deadline, the film is expected to gross just over $6 million in its opening weekend in close to 3,500 theaters around North America.
The Smashing Machine is set to be a huge box office flop
The film was not expected to be a massive hit. However, projections just a few weeks ago suggested it could earn as much as $20 million this weekend. For The Rock, this is by far the lowest-grossing release of his Hollywood career. The WWE icon has been a part of films that have grossed over $15 billion, and even the widely panned DC Comics film Black Adam earned over $383 million worldwide in 2022.
Production company A24 and director Benny Safdie will be lucky if the film breaks $20 million combined after it is finished in North American theaters. The movie reportedly cost $50 million to make, and A24 likely spent close to another $100 million to advertise the film. The theory in Hollywood is that you need to double the production and advertising costs to make a profit. This suggests the picture would need to make nearly $300 million to turn a profit. It won’t come anywhere close.
The lone positive for The Rock is that he has garnered rave reviews for his performance as UFC veteran Mark Kerr. If he gets an Oscar nomination, the movie flopping at the box office is not as big deal. Since the Oscar nom is sure to open up many of the opportunities he has been looking for in the industry over the next few years.
