Johnson is portraying the legendary MMA and UFC champion Mark Kerr in A24's 'The Smashing Machine.'
Dwayne Johnson is giving fans a first look at his incredible transformation into MMA and UFC legend Mark Kerr for The Smashing Machine.
The 52-year-old action star and the production company behind the biopic -- A24 -- released on Tuesday an image showing Johnson in character as Kerr. In the pic, Johnson's sitting on his stool in the corner in the ring getting instructions. He's wearing grappling gloves and a knee sleeve on his left knee.
He's ripped as per usual with Johnson, but he's practically unrecognizable from the neck up, sporting Kerr's trademark black mop and lengthy sideburns.
Johnson is starring in the film based on the documentary of the same name. Emily Blunt co-stars in the movie, which is written and directed by Benny Safdie. Johnson and Dany Garcia's Seven Bucks Productions (which acquired the rights in 2019) will produce alongside Safdie's Out for the Count banner, Eli Bush and David Koplan.
According to A24, The Smashing Machine "is a drama based on the story of Mark Kerr, the legendary MMA fighter from the no-holds-barred era of the UFC at the peak of his career. He struggles with addiction, winning, love and friendship in the year 2000."
Blunt is set to portray Kerr's wife, Dawn Staples, who "struggles to find her place within Mark's chaotic and contradictory world."
In his real life, Kerr struggled with opioid addiction at the height of his career, which was compounded outside the ring as his wife battled with her own demon, an addiction to alcohol. Kerr was a star college wrestler -- winning the 1992 NCAA National Wrestling Championship -- before finding fame in MMA and the UFC. He was a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion. His life story was the subject of the HBO documentary, The Smashing Machine.
Fresh off his appearance in WrestleMania XL last month, Johnson earlier this month posted video showing him on Day 1 of MMA training camp for the film. You can see Johnson grappling, jabbing, kicking and straight-up working on his pummeling skills.
"I'm learning daily and it's been a very humbling, intense and motivating journey into this world of combat and becoming,
Mark Kerr - the two-time @UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion, World Vale Tudo Champion," Johnson captioned his post. "I'm a hard worker, but I realized that I'd have to work harder with this role than anything I’ve ever worked for in my life. This physicality is just one part of the larger journey, that is truly a team effort. Growing and grateful."
Just last month, Johnson took to social media and said he was enjoying his last Sunday cheat meal before beginning his training camp for The Smashing Machine.
He tweeted, "When training camps + diets get super strict, I treat my cheat days like a glorious religious experience- amen."
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