Dwayne Johnson Set To Be Smashed at the Box Office by a Swift Knockout Punch

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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is hoping to establish himself as a serious Oscar contender with this weekend’s , but it appears he’s facing stiff competition. Taylor Swift’s concert film is predicted to significantly outperform his new movie at the box office. Although many expected Johnson’s film, a biopic directed by Benny Safdie, to dominate the weekend, Swift’s last-minute addition of Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl to the release schedule may end up hurting A24’s MMA film’s opening numbers.

For people unfamiliar with everything surrounding Taylor Swift, her 89-minute return to cinemas – her first since the successful theatrical release of The Eras Tour – will feature behind-the-scenes content, lyric videos, and the debut of her new music video during this single showing. Even with this being a unique release, experts predict the film will earn up to $40 million domestically, which would significantly outperform Johnson’s movie.

Although Taylor Swift’s film feels like a quickly assembled attempt to make money – and isn’t really the type of concert movie we’ve seen become popular lately – Jake Johnson’s highly discussed portrayal of UFC fighter Mark Kerr is the sort of powerful, well-received movie expected to earn awards, but may not perform strongly at the box office. Current predictions suggest The Smashing Machine could earn between $15 and $20 million, according to optimistic forecasts.

Dwayne Johnson Is About to Give the Performance of His Life


A24

Ever since he first appeared in The Mummy Returns, Dwayne Johnson has become known for playing strong, action-packed heroes in lots of big, exciting blockbusters. From Fast & Furious, to Jumanji, Rampage and Skyscraper, his films haven’t usually asked him to stretch his acting skills beyond being himself – Dwayne Johnson. The Smashing Machine is different, and many critics are now acknowledging that the former wrestler is a capable actor.

Even though Johnson has dedicated his whole career to various kinds of training, he recently shared with Variety that The Smashing Machine challenged him like never before. He explained:

This change was the most challenging experience of my life. It involved a complete physical makeover, including prosthetics and altering my voice – he has a very distinct way of speaking. When I started working with Benny, we studied videos of Mark, and Benny told me, ‘I want to film this and keep the camera focused entirely on you.’ I understood immediately. He explained, ‘I don’t want any cuts. I want to shoot it in a cinéma vérité style, with a moving camera. You have a fantastic stunt double, but I don’t want to use him.’ So I agreed, ‘Alright. If Mark takes a hit, I take a hit.’

He then told me, ‘DJ, I’m not sure if anyone has mentioned this, but you really need to gain some weight.’ I just said, ‘Okay.’ I actually felt the same way. I asked for a day to work on it. I came back, and when we looked at Mark again, we realized his physique was exceptional. I needed to put on about 30 pounds. Benny wanted me to look a little softer, and I agreed. But it wasn’t just about adding weight; it was about building muscle with a certain kind of quickness. He’s a wrestler, not a bodybuilder. I’ve never focused so much on my traps and neck muscles before. I was aiming for that old-school wrestler look – strong with a powerful neck. I maintained that weight for three and a half months. Then, just two weeks after that, I had to start preparing for Moana. So it was Mark Kerr and Maui – both very large guys.

Although it seems Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson might not top the weekend box office charts this time, there’s more on the line for him than just the number one spot. Taylor Swift could be the one taking the spotlight, but Johnson is resilient and will demonstrate that when he’s likely to receive several major awards soon. It looks like good things are winging their way to him.

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2025-10-02 18:33