Overview

• Dwayne Johnson portrays MMA pioneer Mark Kerr in Benny Safdie’s first solo feature, focusing on Kerr’s late-1990s peak and struggle with painkiller addiction.
• Johnson says he took a real punch during filming and revealed he sustained a concussion to capture an authentic dazed reaction in a key fight scene.
• Safdie emphasized realism by casting and consulting real fighters, with Ryan Bader playing Mark Coleman, Bas Rutten involved, and Oleksandr Usyk coached to throw wider, wrestler‑style punches.
• Kazu Hiro’s prosthetics and Johnson’s physical overhaul are central to the film’s verisimilitude, with critics praising the performances even as some cite uneven pacing and low energy.
• A24 opens the film nationwide on Oct. 3, with festival buzz continuing and some industry reports projecting roughly a $20 million opening weekend.