PHOTO | Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson looks unrecognizable in first look at ‘The Smashing Machine’

WWE wrestler Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is transforming into former UFC heavyweight Mark Kerr.

The man known simply as ‘The Smashing Machine’ was one of the UFC’s earliest stars. Mark Kerr debuted in the company in 1997, winning the UFC 14 heavyweight tournament in his first night. Over the next three years, he would cultivate an undefeated 12-0 record inside the octagon, as well as in PRIDE.

However, Mark Kerr’s time at the top was short. As documented in the HBO film ‘The Smashing Machine’, he began struggling with substance abuse which led to his downfall in the early 2000s. In 2019, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson decided to adapt the documentary into a film, with himself playing Kerr.

For years, the film had no progress. That was until late last year when the project was revived with the involvement of A24. Still titled ‘The Smashing Machine’, the film will still star Dwayne Johnson, and also be directed by Benny Safdie. The young director is most known for his role in creating the 2019 drama Uncut Gems starring Adam Sandler.

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Dwayne Johnson provides first look at himself as former UFC fighter Mark Kerr

For a few weeks now, more and more has been seen from production on the film. Dwayne Johnson recently took to social media to release footage of himself going through MMA drills to prepare for the role of playing Kerr. Now, the first still from the upcoming film has been released courtesy of A24 on Instagram.

In the still image, it’s unclear which section of Mark Kerr’s career it’s covering. Regardless, Dwayne Johnson looks virtually unrecognizable as the former UFC heavyweight contender. Also seen in the picture from the film is Bas Rutten, whom actually trained with Kerr in real-life, as well as Ryan Bader.

‘Darth’ was added to the film’s cast earlier this month, and will seemingly play the role of Mark Coleman. However, there’s still a lot currently unknown about the upcoming movie. As of now, it lacks a release date but has been rumored to be released in 2025. Regardless, it seems that production is going much better than expected.

What do you make of this image from the upcoming film ‘The Smashing Machine’? Are you excited to see Dwayne Johnson portray former UFC heavyweight contender Mark Kerr?