Dwayne Johnson remains one of the biggest names in Hollywood, but not all the films in his career have performed at the box office. His latest setback has brought attention to that lopsided record after ‘The Smashing Machine’ opened to just $6 million domestically, marking the worst opening weekend of his career. The film’s lackluster debut has renewed interest in several of Johnson’s titles that struggled financially despite his star power, from early action dramas to promising franchises that never took off.
Dwayne Johnson’s box office bombs in the spotlight
ScreenRant previously compiled 10 of Johnson’s biggest box office flops, while Variety recently reported on “The Smashing Machine’s” rough start. Variety wrote that the R-rated sports drama was knocked out with $6 million at the box office, a result that also affected A24, which spent $50 million to produce the film.According to the report, ‘The Smashing Machine’ gave Johnson a very different kind of role. He plays fighter and UFC champion Mark Kerr in a story about his comeback from substance abuse and personal struggles. Variety noted that the film offers a rare dramatic performance from Johnson, a far cry from his crowd-pleasing roles in films such as ‘The Mummy’, the ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise and ‘Moana’. Critics were more supportive than audiences, with the film scoring a 73% on Rotten Tomatoes and a B- CinemaScore from moviegoers, according to Variety.
‘The Smashing Machine’ and the past Dwayne Johnson flops
ScreenRant’s earlier list highlighted titles like ‘Black Adam’, ‘Planet 51’, ‘Faster’, ‘Gridiron Gang’, ‘Be Cool’, ‘Walking Tall’, ‘Jungle Cruise’, ‘The Rundown’, ‘Doom’ and ‘Southland Tales’ as some of Johnson’s biggest financial disappointments. The outlet cited several reasons for these results, including poor reviews, high budgets, poor timing, crowded release windows and genre fatigue. He also stated that “Southland Tales” was his worst failure, earning only US$374,743 against a budget of US$17 million.Still, the bigger picture of Johnson’s career remains muddled rather than murky. He has presided over major successes and built one of the most recognizable brands in cinema. But the poor performance of ‘The Smashing Machine’ adds a new chapter to the box office aspect of that story, and this time it’s its most painful opening yet.
