The Rock Is Unrecognizable (But Still Jacked) In The First Look At His A24 Movie With Emily Blunt

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson hasn’t done any “serious” acting since… Pain and Gain maybe? He hasn’t needed to: franchise-building blockbusters like Fast Five and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle made him one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, if not the biggest, and he didn’t feel the urge to try more challenging fare. But following the underwhelming box office performance of Black Adam, The Rock is ready to “make films that matter,” beginning with The Smashing Machine.

Directed by Benny Safdie, the A24 film finds The Rock playing real-life mixed martial artist Mark Kerr, who struggled with substance abuse before retiring from the sport. “Dwayne and Benny are singular talents, and their shared vision for Mark’s inspiring story is electrifying. We are deeply honored to have their trust as collaborators in bringing this incredibly special project to life,” A24 executive Noah Sacco said when The Smashing Machine was announced.

On Tuesday, A24 released the first image from The Smashing Machine. It took me a few seconds before realizing, holy sh*t, that’s The Rock in the ring (and Emily Blunt!). The muscles probably should have been the giveaway.

Below, you’ll find reactions to The Rock’s unrecognizable look (it’s the hair)

In the same interview where he talked about making movies that “matter,” The Rock also expressed that he’s not done with blockbusters, “but there’s a time and a place for them. I’m at this point in my career where I want more. And I don’t mean I want more box office. I mean I want more humanity. And that is why Benny Safdie is the perfect, collaborative, hungry partner for me.”

The Smashing Machine does not have a release date yet.