Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson wept during a 15-minute standing ovation at Venice Film Festival.
Johnson, 53, was overcome with emotion while taking in the rapturous response to his latest film, The Smashing Machine, which screened at the fest on Monday, September 1. Footage from inside the event showed the actor wiping tears and clapping as he stood between costar Emily Blunt and Mark Kerr, the mixed martial arts icon he plays in the biopic.
“This was the most emotion we’ve since on the Lido since Brendan Fraser launched his Oscar campaign here four years ago for ‘The Whale,’” observed Variety editor Ramin Setoodeh via X, sharing video of Johnson’s reaction.
Sporting a double-breasted gray suit and a svelte physique, Johnson repeatedly thanked the audience.
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Meanwhile, Benny Safdie — who wrote and directed the sports drama — also shed tears, at one point covering his face amid the epic applause.
Seth Rogen attended the screening and snapped pictures from the back of the theater. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Rogen, 43, was overheard gushing, “That was awesome!”
Dwayne Johnson weeps during the 15-minute #Venezia2025 standing ovation for ‘The Smashing Machine.’ This was the most emotion we’ve since on the Lido since Brendan Fraser launched his Oscar campaign here four years ago for ‘The Whale.’ pic.twitter.com/BzAjB4v6uk
— Ramin Setoodeh (@RaminSetoodeh) September 1, 2025
The Smashing Machine, an A24 production, will be released in the U.S. on October 3. Blunt, 42, portrays Kerr’s ex-wife, Dawn Staples. (Johnson and Blunt previously costarred in 2021’s Jungle Cruise.) Other cast members include pro fighters Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten and Oleksandr Usyk.
With Smashing Machine, Safdie makes his solo directorial debut following past collaborations with brother Josh Safdie on films including Uncut Gems and Good Time. Josh, 41, went behind the camera on his own to helm the upcoming Marty Supreme, a table-tennis dramedy featuring Timothee Chalamet and Gwyneth Paltrow.
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“Mark was the greatest fighter in the world at one point, but this film is not even really about fighting — it’s a love story,” a tearful Johnson said at a press conference in Venice, per THR. “It’s a love story about Mark and Dawn in this relationship, and it’s a love story about Mark and the love that he had for the thing that he did — his struggle with trying to deliver [in the ring], his challenges and his overcoming. As you know, Mark OD’d twice, and he’s lucky to be alive — and that’s part of why this story is so special.”
Johnson called Blunt his “best friend” and said that she helped motivate him to take on the challenge of portraying Kerr, 56, a two-time UFC heavyweight champion.
“From the time we worked on Jungle Cruise together, she really encouraged and believed in me and said, ‘You know, there’s a place that you can put all the stuff that you have gone through as a kid,’” he recalled. “I’ve been very close with Emily and shared a lot of everything that I’ve gone through, and she said, ‘That place is what you love to do, which is acting — and you have me — so let’s do this together.’ And then Benny was on the other side of that, saying, ‘Hey, I got you both, and let’s go for it.’ So that transformation could not have happened without my best friend being there to support and encourage me.”
