‘You can’t control the box office results': Dwayne Johnson on ‘The Smashing Machine’ box office failure

Dwayne Johnson has spoken out following the disappointing box office debut of his new film ‘The Smashing Machine’, which recorded the lowest opening weekend of his career.

Dwayne Johnson addresses the box office failure of ‘The Smashing Machine’

Despite critical acclaim for Dwayne's performance, the film earned only $5.9 million from over 3,300 venues across the United States, falling short of its projected $8–15 million range.

“From deep in my grateful bones, thank you to everyone who has watched “The Smashing Machine”. 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 (sic),” Johnson wrote in a heartfelt message shared on social media.

He added, “It was my honour 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 deep gratitude, respect and radical empathy, DJ (sic).”

According to Variety, the $50 million A24 production — directed and co-produced by Benny Safdie — landed in third place over its opening weekend, marking Johnson’s weakest debut since his 2010 thriller ‘Faster’.

Despite the financial setback, ‘The Smashing Machine’ has been widely celebrated for Johnson’s transformative performance, with many critics predicting his first major run in the Academy Awards’ Best Actor category.

What is ‘The Smashing Machine’ about?

The film, a biographical sports drama, tells the story of Mark Kerr, a former wrestling and mixed martial arts champion whose career was marked by both triumph and addiction. Starring Johnson alongside Emily Blunt, Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten, and Oleksandr Usyk, it premiered to strong reviews at the Venice International Film Festival, where Safdie won the Silver Lion for Best Director.

While its box office numbers may disappoint, Johnson’s portrayal of Kerr has earned him widespread respect — and possibly the most serious acting recognition of his career.