Overview
- Speaking on The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast, Johnson said the film "completely changed" his life and marked a deliberate shift in his career.
- He portrays real-life MMA fighter Mark Kerr and described the performance as an effort to disappear, transform, and challenge himself after years of mainstream hits.
- Johnson acknowledged the movie underperformed financially and said he never considered box-office returns while making it.
- He disclosed previously unaddressed childhood experiences, including eviction and his mother's suicide attempt, saying the project gave him a place to channel that pain.
- He said he will carry this approach into upcoming work with Martin Scorsese and Darren Aronofsky.