The Rock's Emotional Reaction to 15-Minute Standing Ovation

It was an emotional night for The Rock. According to Variety, he “uncontrollably sobbed” as the audience cheered and screamed during a 15-minute standing ovation. The ovation was one of the longest at this year’s prestige festival. It was a special moment for the former WWE Champion, who has been in the film industry since his debut in the 2001 action and adventure film The Mummy Returns.

The People’s Champion wasn’t the only one to get emotional during the standing ovation. Per the outlet, the film’s director, Benny Safdie, hugged Dwayne and his co-star Emily Blunt and was also crying tears of joy. Mark Kerr, who the biopic is about, was also at the world premiere along with the cast and was crying.

Smashing Machine is also nominated for the Golden Lion. The Golden Lion is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival and has been around since 1949. Last year’s winner was Pedro Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door.

What Is The Smashing Machine About?

As mentioned, The Rock stars as two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion Mark Kerr. The plot follows Kerr’s time not only fighting in the ring and octagon, but also his battle with painkiller addiction and overdose. Emily Blunt plays Kerr’s then-wife, Dawn Staples. It's a visceral and heartbreaking story. Before this biopic, HBO released a documentary in 2003 about the embattled mixed martial artist.

Fans were shocked at how The Rock looks almost unrecognizable in the film due to the prosthetics. In a past interview with Variety, The Rock spoke about why he was drawn to this role. He said:

“I’m at a point in my career where I want to push myself in ways that I’ve not pushed myself in the past. I want to make films that matter, that explore a humanity and explore struggle [and] pain.”

This role looks to be different from the prior films that The Rock has been in. It’s actually a lot different from the first film that Johnson and Blunt starred in together, the 2021 Disney adventure film Jungle Cruise. Smashing Machine also stars Lyndsey Gavin, Oleksandr Usyk, and Ryan Bader.

The Rock's company, Seven Bucks, is also producing the project, while A24 will be releasing the Smashing Machine in theUnited States on October 3, 2025.