Overview

• The A24 biopic premiered Sept. 1 in competition at the Venice Film Festival and drew a roughly 15-minute standing ovation that left Dwayne Johnson and director Benny Safdie in tears.
• Early reviews lauded Johnson’s physical and emotional transformation, with festival chatter pointing to potential awards-season contention.
• Johnson characterized the story as a love story and a study of pressure and addiction rather than a conventional fight movie.
• To inhabit Mark Kerr, Johnson spent three to four hours daily in prosthetic makeup designed by Kazu Hiro, appeared noticeably leaner, and outlets variably reported significant weight loss.
• Directed by Safdie and co-starring Emily Blunt as Dawn Staples, the film is slated for theatrical release on October 3.