4 reasons Dwayne Johnson’s ‘Smashing Machine’ slumped at Box Office

Dwayne Johnson’s latest project, The Smashing Machine, has been dealt a brutal crash, earning just $6 million in its opening weekend.

The R-rated sports drama marks the worst box-office debut of Johnson’s career, leaving both the star and indie powerhouse A24 staggering after investing nearly $50 million into production and marketing.

The film, a raw, emotional turn for the actor best known for Fast and Furious and Moana, follows MMA legend Mark Kerr’s comeback from addiction.

Critics gave it a respectable 73% on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences weren’t sold, handing it a lukewarm B- CinemaScore.

So, what went wrong? Here are four reasons why The Smashing Machine failed to land a hit at the box office.

From Festival Ovation to Oblivion

The Smashing Machine made a grand entrance at the Venice Film Festival, earning a 15-minute standing ovation and even scoring Benny Safdie the award for Best Director.

Critics hailed it as a potential Oscar contender, but that red-carpet energy fizzled fast. The reality is, festival hype doesn’t always sell tickets.

Despite its prestigious debut, The Smashing Machine couldn’t turn applause on the Lido into box-office momentum, proving once again that critical love doesn’t always equal commercial success.

Misaligned Target Audience

A24 pitched the movie as a gritty, awards-season drama, complete with a Venice Film Festival premiere and heavy focus on Dwayne Johnson’s transformation.

But the marketing didn’t match the audience. The movie wasn’t clearly marketed to the people who would love it, causing a huge shortfall in identifying the target audience.

Nearly 70% of viewers were men aged 18–36, the usual Rock crowd, not the older arthouse demographic A24 hoped for. And when the action didn’t deliver, disappointment followed.

Sports Drama Doesn’t Voyage Well Overseas

The Smashing Machine came with a $50 million price tag, partly inflated by Johnson’s usual blockbuster paycheck. It was a risky move for a film that wasn’t his typical action spectacle.

A24 went wide with a 3,000-theater release, but breaking even now requires over $100 million, a feat few of its films have managed.

To make matters worse, international audiences aren’t likely to bail it out. As analyst David A. Gross noted, “Sports dramas do not travel well overseas. Each country has its own sports myths and dreams. American wrestling is a local phenomenon, and that will limit it abroad.”

Taylor Swift’s Showgirl Hit The Rock?

Taylor Swift dominated the weekend box office as The Official Release Party of a Showgirl danced to a $33 million debut, an impressive feat for a film announced just two weeks ago.

Some believed her surprise release might’ve cut into The Smashing Machine’s screen space, especially on premium formats.

But analysts disagree. As Shawn Robbins from Fandango explains, “There’s not a significant audience crossover between Taylor Swift’s fanbase and a male-driven sports drama.”

Simply put, although the Grammy winner smashed the box office with her new album event, Swift’s show wasn’t the reason for The Rock’s downfall.

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