WWE's the Rock Shares 1st-Look Video at 'The Smashing Machine' Ahead of October Debut

WWE legend Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson provided an inside look Tuesday at his upcoming movie The Smashing Machine.

The Rock posted a video on his YouTube channel that included clips from The Smashing Machine, along with behind-the-scenes interviews with himself, co-star Emily Blunt and director Benny Safdie.

Johnson also made a post on X in which he praised Blunt and Safdie, while giving his take on the deeper meaning of the movie, which is a biographical film about the life of MMA fighter Mark Kerr:

"After all these years, I never thought this could happen, but this film has changed my life and illuminated parts of me I didn't know existed. Emily's performance in this film absolutely shakes your soul. She's the heartbreaking truth that the loved ones of fighters sacrifice so much too.

"Our writer and director, Benny Safdie provided a singularly inspired, and safe place for us to go raw, take flight, transform, and eventually—a hard landing. Thank you Benny. In the end, you realize that true self-acceptance—and being at peace with who you are—is often life's biggest win."

Kerr was one of the first huge MMA stars, as he won the heavyweight tournament at UFC 14 and UFC 15 in 1997, and enjoyed enormous success in Pride Fighting Championships as well.

While playing Kerr is a far more dramatic role than The Rock typically plays, he was seemingly the perfect fit, as he also made a name for himself in an off-shoot of the combat sports world.

Although The Rock's matches as a WWE Superstar were predetermined unlike Kerr's MMA fights, he went into The Smashing Machine knowing what it was like to be the center of attention in a ring with thousands of people in attendance.

In addition to being able to draw on his experiences, playing Kerr also allowed The Rock to show his range as an actor, which is something he told Variety's Ellise Shafer and Rebecca Rubin that he has been trying to do for some time:

"I just had this burning desire and voice that was saying, 'What if there is more and what if I can?' A lot of times, it's harder for us—or at least for me—to know what you're capable of when you've been pigeonholed into something. Sometimes it takes people who you love and respect, like Emily and Benny to say that you can."

The Rock's performance has already been well-received, as he received a 15-minute ovation at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month, per The Hollywood Reporter.

An even larger audience will get the opportunity to see The Rock's transformation into Mark Kerr on Oct. 3 when The Smashing Machine officially hits theaters.