Dwayne Johnson must be cursing his luck today.
His new movie, “The Smashing Machine,” is not smashing anything, not even potatoes.
Last night’s previews yielded just $850,000. Ouch! The movie is headed to a $10 million weekend, which would be a record low in Johnson’s resume.
“Smashing Machine” is about real life mixed martial artist Mark Kerr. Directed by Benny Safdie and co-starring Emily Blunt, the movie has a lowly 73% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Johnson, who’s had lots of big hits, looks nothing like himself in the movie or in the advertising.
Who is Mark Kerr? A nice guy, I’m sure. So is everyone else involved in the project. But why did they make it? Who was it for?
Studio A24 has had a pretty rough year with things like “Eddington,” “Warfare,” and their Apple Spike Lee movie, “Highest 2 Lowest.”
Next up they gamble the whole shebang on the $70 million “Marty Supreme” starring Timothee Chalamet. Director is Josh Safdie, brother of Benny. The talented brothers made Adam Sandler’s “Uncut Gems” a few years ago. They have a lot of good will with critics. But “Marty” has to live on its own merits.
