Dwayne Johnson’s career has taken some interesting turns of late. He’s been back in the WWE, in full heel mode, in the ramp up to the WrestleMania main event. He also recently squashed his beef with Vin Diesel and showed up in Fast X, with the expectation of a return for the 11th and final movie in the franchise. Not only that, but Johnson’s MMA biopic The Smashing Machine is moving forward with Benny Safdie at the helm, and it’s not the kind of movie that is the typical Johnson blockbuster.
Is it possible Johnson could be enlisting an old friend to join him in The Smashing Machine? According to “scooper” Jeff Sneider, Emily Blunt is in talks to join the cast. Blunt and Johnson took sail together in Jungle Cruise, and will again in a future sequel. With Johnson taking on a more dramatic role than he has in years, adding Blunt, who is currently a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nominee for Oppenheimer, couldn’t possibly hurt.
The Smashing Machine centers on former UFC champion Mark Kerr and his battle with addiction at the height of his MMA career in 2000. Safdie, best known for indie films such as Good Time and Uncut Gems, will direct and co-write the film with Johnson in the role of Kerr. A24 is backing this one, taking on another drama centered around combat sports following the success they had with The Iron Claw.
I stress to take this with a grain of salt considering the source, but on paper it makes sense.
