Overview

• On The Director’s Cut podcast, Nolan praised Johnson’s turn as Mark Kerr as “heartbreaking” and said, “I don’t think you’ll see a better performance this year or most other years.”
• The Smashing Machine has grossed about $13.8 million worldwide on a reported $50 million budget, including roughly $10 million in North America after a $5.8–$5.9 million opening that marked Johnson’s career-low debut.
• Director Benny Safdie won best director at the Venice Film Festival for the film, which holds around a 71% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes following TIFF and festival buzz.
• Coverage highlights Johnson’s transformation with facial prosthetics and reported significant weight loss to resemble Kerr, alongside authentic casting of real fighters such as Ryan Bader and Bas Rutten.
• Industry analysis notes A24 sold foreign rights to limit its exposure on the higher-budget project, with rivals calling the theatrical result a cautionary sign for similar prestige plays.