Dwayne Johnson Reacts To Smashing Machine’s Poor Box Office Performance, And Here’s What I Hope This Doesn’t Mean For The Future

After earning widespread critical acclaim on the festival circuit, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s The Smashing Machine struggled to make a major impact at this past weekend's box office. The film opened to a modest $6 million domestic debut, the lowest opening weekend of his career. While it was never expected to rival his usual blockbuster hits, the underperformance still comes as a surprise given its 15-minute standing ovation at Venice and early awards buzz. Still, the Moana star is taking it all in stride, but there is one thing I hope this doesn’t mean for the future.

Johnson doesn’t seem rattled by the poor financial results of his latest flick, honestly, far from it. In a heartfelt Instagram post, which can be seen below, the actor reflected on what the experience meant to him.

It sounds like The Mummy Returns star isn’t too shaken by the poor box office showing. But personally, I really hope this doesn’t mark the end of the more interesting roles he was just beginning to explore, like his upcoming second film with A24 called Lizard Music, as well as a forthcoming project with Martin Scorsese. Yes, action movies are clearly his comfort zone, but I’m still holding out for a full-on Rockenissance.

The modest turnout is surprising, especially for a film that sparked Oscar buzz thanks to Johnson’s praised performance and the transformative turn as troubled MMA fighter Mark Kerr. Still, with audiences being more selective about theatrical outings, especially for adult dramas, even star-powered indie films are facing an uphill battle.

But if, like me, you’re wondering whether this disappointing debut will discourage The Rock from swinging big again, his reaction says otherwise. He called it an “honor” to transform for director Benny Safdie and closed his Instagram post by saying, “Truth is, this film has changed my life.” That’s the kind of mindset we need more of. Because while The Smashing Machine may not have shattered records, it represents a significant step forward in Johnson’s career, not for how big it is, but for how different it is. This isn’t Black Adam. It’s not Hobbs & Shaw. It’s a raw, vulnerable, and often painful portrayal of a man battling addiction, fame, and identity.

That said, the box office realities are tough. With a reported $50 million production budget (per Variety), and that’s not even counting marketing, the film faces an uphill battle to break even. It opened behind Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl and One Battle After Another from Paul Thomas Anderson, both of which attracted significantly larger audiences.

So, no, I don’t want this stumble to push Dwayne Johnson back toward safer roles or fewer collaborations with bold filmmakers like the Safdie brothers. What I do hope is that he, and other stars watching from the sidelines, see that projects like this might not bring in $100 million out of the gate, but they can still deliver something lasting. There’s always a chance The Smashing Machine finds its audience on streaming (especially since A24 titles often end up available to anyone with an HBO Max subscription), and that The Rock gets the recognition this work truly deserves.

There’s still plenty of time for the film to find a second wind, as it’s still playing in theaters as part of the 2025 movie release schedule. Check your local listings for showtimes.