After Smashing Machine‘s 15 1/2-minute standing ovation at Venice, which brought Dwayne Johnson to tears, the wrestler-turned movie star finally earned his first Golden Globe nomination this morning for his turn as tormented MMA fighter Mark Kerr in the A24 movie. Johnson’s nom was in the Lead Male Actor Motion Picture Drama category.
That Golden Globe victory came against further noise this morning in Netflix and Paramount’s fight for 102-year-old studio, Warner Bros. The fear by many being that a Netflix win would collapse the theatrical window, causing theaters to close, and turning the motion picture ancillary business upside down, if not extinct.
“I don’t have a fear that the theatrical experience is going away, because I believe deep in my heart as someone who loves our industry, loves moviemaking, loves storytelling, loves our arts, we will find a way that we’re making films that are driven and created for the theatrical experience,” said Johnson when asked by us about theatrical’s fate in the face of studio consolidation.
He continued, “The theatrical experience for me personally is the anchoring thing that inspired me to become an actor to begin with. When I was eight years old, I watched Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark in Charlotte, North Carolina, and I will never forget that experience. Since then I carry that with me.”
“I understand these big sweeping changes can be scary for a lot of folks and I get that, and I understand. But I have faith that we as actors and filmmakers, artists and storytellers will continue to make our films and find a way to get them into theaters. Because we have to,” the Jumanji franchise star continued.
“We have to always protect that experience, and while the other company is a trailblazer,” said Johnson referring to Netflix, “I’d like to think that there are folks in that company who still believe in that experience as well.”
Johnson delivered to Netflix its second most-watched movie of all-time with 2021’s Red Notice which counts 230.9M global views. That pic held the top spot as the streamer’s most watched movie until KPop Demon Hunters unseated it with 325.1M global views this past summer.
Talking about the biggest challenge for his first dramatic role as Kerr, Johnson told Deadline it “was about really embodying Mark’s skin and really transforming and becoming him.”
Kerr overdosed twice, and “he is still alive,” said Johnson. Recently the former wrestler reflected that he had lost 15 close friends in the professional contact sport from addictions throughout the years. For Johnson, Smashing Machine was a letter of hope for all those who are battling their inner demons and believe they’ve lost the fight.
For those who watch Smashing Machine, Johnson hopes their takeaway is that they continue to “fight…as long as there is breath in your body. Sometimes winning becomes the enemy and sometimes you go after everything and you can lose everything, but if you have breath in your body and you hold onto faith, then everything will be OK.”
In addition today, Johnson’s co-star, Emily Blunt, was nominated for a Golden Globe, the second for Smashing Machine, in the female supporting motion picture category. Blunt played Kerr’s wife, Dawn Staples. It’s the actress’ eighth Golden Globe nom. She won in 2008 for Gideon’s Daughter in the Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television slot.
Smashing Machine won the Golden Lion for Best Film and the Silver Lion for Benny Safdie’s directing at the Venice Film Festival earlier this fall.