The Rock’s Critically Acclaimed Box Office Bomb Just Hit Streaming

January 23, 2026, 10:00am

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is no stranger to the movies. Since his first film, 2001’s The Mummy Returns, the WWE star has established a successful acting career, becoming one of the highest-paid and highest-grossing actors of all time. Last fall, Johnson debuted his most dramatic role and perhaps most ambitious projects to date and was met with significant critical praise. Unfortunately, it didn’t fare so well at the box office but now, it’s getting a new life on HBO Max.

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Now streaming on HBO Max, The Smashing Machine stars Johnson as two-time UFC heavyweight champion Mark Kerr. The Benny Safdie written and directed biopic also stars Emily Blunt, Dawn Staples, Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten, and Oleksandr Usyk. While the film received critical praise (much of it for Johnson’s portrayal of Kerr) it was a box office bomb, grossing just $21 million against the film’s $50 million production budget.

The Rock’s Transformation for The Smashing Machine is Unbelievable

A huge part of the critical acclaim for The Smashing Machine centers around Johnson and his incredible transformation, both in terms of what he physically underwent for the role and in terms of the role itself. A major part of Johnson’s movie success has centered around his action roles, making him a fixture of the genre. However, with The Smashing Machine, Johnson showed a different side of his acting range and leaned into the more dramatic side of things. His performance in the film shows that there is more to the entertainer than his more charismatic, physical work.

Johnson is also practically physically unrecognizable in The Smashing Machine as well. The actor gained more than 30 pounds of muscle for the role as well as underwent extensive use of prosthetic makeup, vocal coaching, and even MMA training in order to portray Kerr. Between the physical transformation and the depth and care with which he approached the role, Johnson practically disappears into the role, making it easily one of his best performances to date. While the film may not have been a huge box office winner, now that it’s streaming on HBO Max, new audiences will have a chance to see just how skilled Johnson is — as well as discover why there’s been Oscar buzz around the film. Johnson was already nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in the film and though he didn’t win (that went to Wagner Moura for The Secret Agent) it’s a great achievement and shows just how much of a contender he and the movie really are.

The Smashing Machine is now streaming on HBO Max.

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