A new movie about a Syracuse University alumnus just broke a box office record — but not one the filmmakers likely wanted. “The Smashing Machine,” a biopic starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as former Syracuse wrestler Mark Kerr, opened in theaters this weekend with just $6 million across 3,345 theaters. It was third place at the box office, behind Paul Thomas Anderson’s new film “One Battle After Another” (starring Leonardo DiCaprio) at No. 2 with $11.1 million and Taylor Swift’s “The Official Release Party of a Show Girl” at No. 1 with $33 million. According to The Hollywood Reporter, “The Smashing Machine” set a new record as the worst opening weekend in Johnson’s career. Ticket sales were well below early projections of up to $20 million and bombed harder than his previous cinematic low of $8.5 million for “Faster” in 2010 (not adjusted for inflation). Variety reports the numbers are especially disappointing as studio A24 spent $50 million to produce “The Smashing Machine.” Millions of dollars have also been spent promoting the movie, including appearances at the Venice and Toronto film festivals.
Published: October 6, 2025 4:56 pm
Source: Syracuse.com — Read original