When the first images from the biographical sports drama film The Smashing Machine were released and revealed Dwayne Johnson's stunning physical transformation for his performance as former amateur wrestler and MMA fighter Mark Kerr, there was immediate speculation that The Smashing Machine might result in Johnson's first Academy Award nomination. This only intensified after The Smashing Machine had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where the film, along with Johnson and director Benny Safdie, received a thunderous 15-minute standing ovation.