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Dwayne Johnson reacts as The Smashing Machine gets his lowest opening: ‘You can’t control box office results’

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has penned a note to thank fans and responded to the fact that The Smashing Machine had the lowest opening of his career.

Updated on: Oct 7, 2025, 15:29:03 IST
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Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is responding to the lukewarm box office performance of his latest release, The Smashing Machine. The sports drama, which also stars Emily Blunt, opened in theatres last Friday and has managed to make $6 million in its first weekend. Taking to his Instagram account, Dwayne has now penned a note to thank fans and shared how the film changed him forever. (Also read: Dwayne Johnson gets the lowest opening of his career with The Smashing Machine at just $6 million)

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Emily Blunt in a still from The Smashing Machine.
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Emily Blunt in a still from The Smashing Machine.

What Dwayne said

Dwayne shared two stills of himself in character from the film's shoot, and wrote in the caption, “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.”

‘This film has changed my life’

He added, “And I will always run to that opportunity. It was my honor to transform in this role for my director Benny Safdie @bowedtie. Thank you brother for believing in me. Truth is this film has changed my life. With deep gratitude, respect and radical empathy, dj.”

As per Variety, the film was at the third place in its opening weekend, managing to make $6 million from 3,345 venues. The film has a budget of $50 million in production alone, with additional costs in promotions. It fell behind the concert film, Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl, which managed to collect $33 million over the weekend. Then there was Leonardo DiCaprio’s One Battle After Another, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, which collected $10.3 million in its second weekend.

In The Smashing Machine, Johnson plays MMA fighter Mark Kerr, which is inspired by the 2002 documentary with the same name. The film also explores his relationship with his then-girlfriend, played by Emily Blunt. The film is directed by Benny Safdie.

  • Santanu Das
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Santanu Das

    Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupechaRead More

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