Dwayne Johnson is already sparking Oscar buzz with his new project.
The wrestler-turned-actor, who is famously known as “The Rock”, has established himself as an actor doing multiple movies.
In his most recent project, The Smashing Machine, he stars as UFC fighter Mark Kerr, which is being highly praised.
Mark is a legendary two-time UFC heavyweight champion and MMA icon who battled with addiction and eventually retired in 2009.
The movie premiered on Monday at the Venice Film Festival and while initial reactions are not out yet, it is being considered the actor’s most promising shot at the Academy.
The actor lost weight and slimmed down for the role which he explained “This transformation was something I was really hungry to do,” a the presser for the movie in Venice.
“It’s a love story about Mark and Dawn in this relationship, and it’s a love story about Mark and the love that he had for the thing that he did”, the actor explained the movie.
Dwayne stars alongside Emily Blunt, who will play the role of Mark’s partner Dawn Staples.
The movie will premier at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival on September 8 and later will have a global theatrical release on October 3.
