Benny Safdie has won the Silver Lion award for Best Director at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival for his work on The Smashing Machine. The film stars Dwayne Johnson in the lead role as early UFC figure Mark Kerr. Johnson confirmed the news on Instagram, celebrating Safdie’s win and promising him “Big hugs and tequila.”
The A24-produced film, set for an October 3 release, has generated positive reviews, with critics highlighting Johnson’s performance as a departure from his usual blockbuster roles. Johnson has previously spoken about being typecast and seeking opportunities to display a different side of his acting.
This creative pursuit was recently linked to his personal motivations in an interview with Vanity Fair. Johnson stated that fear had previously prevented him from taking on certain professional challenges, including roles like this one.
I realized that maybe these opportunities weren’t coming my way because I was too scared to explore this stuff.
This admission of vulnerability contrasts sharply with his most recent WWE persona as the dominant “Final Boss.” Johnson has been absent from WWE programming for nearly six months, with his last appearance occurring at Elimination Chamber on March 1, 2025.
His absence left a major angle unresolved following WrestleMania 41, where he and a heel-turning John Cena had attacked Cody Rhodes. While speculation about a return grew before SummerSlam, a promo cut by John Cena on the August 1 episode of SmackDown was interpreted by many as WWE moving on from the storyline.
Despite being off television, Johnson remains an influential figure within the company through his position on the TKO Group Holdings board of directors, where he is involved in high-level strategic decisions.