Dwayne Johnson's The Smashing Machine was the third highest-grossing movie last weekend, but that's not really good news. The sports drama directed by Benny Safdie collected only $6 million during its release weekend, which now feels quite far from the reported $50 million A24 spent to produce it (via Variety).
These underwhelming box office results come with an unwanted record for The Rock – it's the actor's lowest-grossing film of his entire career.
Despite underperforming with viewers, The Smashing Machine has been a success with critics since premiering at the Venice Film Festival, where Safdie won the Silver Lion for his directing work. The biopic has a 73% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from over 200 reviews, most of them praising Johnson's performance and predicting he will get an Oscar nomination next year.
The film sees Johnson transform into MMA fighter Mark Kerr, and explores what happens when the fighter faces loss and the psychological ramifications of such a blow. Emily Blunt plays Kerr's wife, Dawn Staples.
Elsewhere in the box office, Taylor Swift proved once again that she's a force to be reckoned with in any medium. Her "cinematic experience" titled The Official Release Party of a Showgirl, a companion piece for her new album, landed second with $33 million in the US, and $46 million globally. Not quite the record-breaking numbers of The Eras Tour, but still a monumental result for the artist.
The Smashing Machine also battled (and lost) against One Battle After Another, which stayed strong in its second weekend at the box office. It's officially the highest-grossing film of filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson's career, passing There Will Be Blood.
The Smashing Machine is now out in cinemas. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies heading your way for the rest of the year.
