Emily Blunt In Talks To Star Opposite Dwayne Johnson In ‘The Smashing Machine’

Negotiations are underway to bring Academy Award-nominated Emily Blunt to the Dwayne Johnson film vehicle The Smashing Machine.

Blunt would play Dawn Staples, the new wife to MMA champion Mark Kerr. While trying to set up a life together, Dawn struggles to find her place within Mark’s chaotic and contradictory world. 

The film is a drama based on the story of Kerr, the legendary MMA fighter from the no-holds-barred era of the UFC. He struggles with addiction, winning, love, and friendship, set in the year 2000. 

During his MMA career, Kerr was a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion, World Vale Tudo Championship tournament winner, a PRIDE FC Heavyweight Champion, 1992 NCAA National Wrestling Champion, 1994 National Freestyle Champion and 4x ADCC World Submission Champion.

In 2003, Kerr was the subject of an HBO documentary titled The Smashing Machine, which detailed his MMA career fighting in Vale Tudo, the UFC and PRIDE.

The film is written and directed by Benny Safdie and produced and financed by A24. 

Johnson and Dany Garcia’s Seven Bucks Productions will produce alongside Safdie’s Out for the Count banner, Eli Bush and David Koplan.

Johnson and Safdie have been collaborators on the project since Seven Bucks Productions acquired the rights in 2019 and will produce together.

Blunt is represented by CAA, The Artists Partnership, and David Weber of Sloane, Offer, Weber and Dern.