Dwayne Johnson’s A24 wrestling movie, The Smashing Machine, has set a fall 2025 release date. Written and directed by Benny Safdie, the upcoming A24 film stars Johnson as the former wrestler and MMA fighter Mark Kerr, following the peak of his career during the no-holds-barred era of the UFC to his struggles with substance abuse. The Smashing Machine’s cast also includes Emily Blunt as Kerr’s wife Dawn Staples, alongside several real fighters, such as Oleksandr Usyk, Bas Rutten, Ryan Bader, Satoshi Ishii, and Cyborg Abreu.
Now, according to Deadline, A24’s The Smashing Machine has set a theatrical release date of October 3. This follows the news of Lionsgate’s Michael Jackson biopic looking to relocate from that date as it considers releasing as two separate movies. Otherwise, The Smashing Machine is now set to debut on the same date as Paramount’s Roofman, directed by Derek Cianfrance and starring Channing Tatum, and Neon’s upcoming horror film The Keeper from Oz Perkins, making for quite the box office battle between auteur directors.
What The Smashing Machine’s Release Date Means For The Movie

It Has Awards Season Hopes

Since The Smashing Machine was first announced in December 2024, it was deemed Dwayne Johnson’s most dramatic role yet, who typically opts for traditional blockbusters and family fare, and seen as a potential awards season contender. The Smashing Machine is a biopic about a tragic figure who struggles with substance abuse and drug addiction, which is typically the type of performance that tends to perform well during awards season. By releasing in the fall, The Smashing Machine has officially positioned itself as an awards season contender.

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By releasing in early October, Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine will avoid any competition with his brother Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme, starring Timothée Chalamet, which is set for a release on December 25, 2025. Though the Safdie brothers started their careers writing and directing Good Time and Uncut Gems together, The Smashing Machine and Marty Supreme represent their solo debuts. Both are sports biopics from A24, and since they could target similar audiences, it’s smart for the studio to put some space between their release dates.
Our Take On The Smashing Machine’s Release Date

It’s Anything But Oscar Bait

Though The Smashing Machine’s release date indicates that A24 has awards season hopes for the biopic, it should be anything but Oscar bait. Considering Benny Safide’s style, most recently seen in the Showtime series The Curse, The Smashing Machine likely won’t be a conventional depiction of Mark Kerr’s life. Safdie’s raw and unfiltered style suggests a grittier, more chaotic take on Kerr’s life rather than a polished prestige drama. The Smashing Machine should embrace authenticity over sentimentality, making it a bold, unconventional awards contender.
Source: Deadline