Dwayne Johnson has responded after The Smashing Machine gave him the worst box office opening weekend of his career.
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The Benny Safdie-directed movie earned $5.9million in the US on its first weekend despite a positive reception from critics, with its limited demographic appeal and digitally focused promotion campaign being highlighted as potential reasons why. Just 8% of ticket-buyers were over 55 years old, traditionally an important demographic for arthouse films.
Johnson, however, doesn’t seem fazed. In an Instagram post, he wrote: “In our storytelling world, you can’t control box office results – but what I realised you can control is your performance, and your commitment to completely disappear and go elsewhere. And I will always run to that opportunity … Truth is this film has changed my life.”
He thanked everyone who watched the movie “from deep in my grateful bones” and paid tribute to Safdie, adding: “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.”
Per Variety, The Smashing Machine’s ticket sales were below projections of $8million to $15million, lower than Johnson’s 2010 thriller Faster, which earned $8.5million, not adjusted for inflation. In the UK, it came fourth, making £863,078. This put it below Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, which had already been in cinemas for a month.
In the biographical sports drama, Johnson plays former amateur wrestler and MMA fighter Mark Kerr. He stars alongside Emily Blunt, who plays his girlfriend Dawn Staples, while Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten and Oleksandr Usyk all also feature.
It premiered at the Venice International Film Festival on September 1 – in which a 15-minute standing ovation reduced Johnson to tears – and was released in cinemas on October 3.
NME’s Matthew Turner gave The Smashing Machine a four-star review, describing it as a “powerful film that should see Johnson rack up a few Best Actor nods come awards season.” He added: “This is a thoroughly entertaining sports biopic that packs one hell of a sentimental gutpunch. It’s smashing stuff.”
