Dwayne Johnson showed a side of himself we rarely get to see at the Venice Film Festival. After the premiere of his latest film, The Smashing Machine, the Black Adam star couldn’t hold back tears during a 15-minute standing ovation. And, of course, it’s already sparked Oscar chatter.
Directed by Bennie Safdie, A24‘s The Smashing Machine stars Johnson as Mark Kerr, a former amateur wrestler turned MMA fighter. Emily Blunt co-stars as Kerr’s ex-wife, Dawn Staples. Safdie, Johnson, and Blunt all shed tears amid the applause. According to Variety, the audience’s reaction was one of the longest ovations at this year’s festival.
Johnson arrived on the red carpet with Blunt in high spirits, signing autographs and posing for selfies with excited fans. One long-time follower even shouted his WWE catchphrase: “Can you smell what the Rock is cooking?!” You can just imagine Johnson grinning, probably thinking, “The hierarchy of power in the Oscar universe is about to change.”
Fans also got a surprise: Johnson looked drastically different. The Jumanji star debuted a slimmer physique that shocked social media. Some even jokingly dubbed him “The Pebble” after the transformation.
During Monday’s press conference, Johnson explained why he took on this role. He said Hollywood often pigeonholes actors, and chasing box office numbers can be “very loud” and restrictive. “I just had this burning desire and voice that was saying, ‘What if there is more and what if I can?’” Johnson said. He credited Safdie and Blunt for helping him take the leap into a role that demanded intensity and emotion.
Think back to Brendan Fraser’s tearful standing ovation for The Whale at Venice just three years ago. Johnson’s moment kind of mirrors that viral reaction. Audiences cheered, chanted, and clapped, showing that even after the box-office stumble of Black Adam, Johnson could still command the kind of respect that sparks awards talk.
Critics are already loving The Smashing Machine. It has a 84% Rotten Tomatoes score. So, yeah, we might be looking at Johnson in serious awards territory. His performance is now impossible to ignore.
Eat that, James Gunn.
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