Emily Blunt in talks to join ‘The Smashing Machine’
EMILY Blunt is said to be in negotiations about appearing in The Smashing Machine opposite Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, who is to play MMA fighter Mark Kerr.
According to Variety, Blunt is in talks with A24 about portraying Kerr’s wife, Dawn Staples, in the motion picture.
The movie is to be directed by Benny Safdie – one half of the sibling duo that helmed the acclaimed picture ‘Uncut Gems’ – in his solo directorial debut.
Should Blunt sign up for the project, it would see her reunite with Safdie, who she starred alongside in Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’, and she would appear opposite Johnson once again after co-starring with him in 2021’s ‘Jungle Cruise’.
In December, it was revealed Johnson is to play the two-time UFC Heavyweight champion.
Safdie has written and directed the movie, and has been working with Johnson on the film since 2019. Kerr’s rise through the fighting world and an addiction to painkillers that led to an overdose were detailed in the 2002 HBO documentary ‘The Smashing Machine’, a nickname he earned as a result of his fighting style.
The motion picture will also see Johnson return to his roots as he famously started his career as a professional wrestler and was a key figure in the success of WWE at the end of the 1990s and the beginning of the 2000s.
A24 are financing the film and will produce alongside Johnson and Dany Garcia’s Seven Bucks Productions company.
The company’s Noah Sacco said: “Dwayne and Benny are singular talents, and their shared vision for Mark’s inspiring story is electrifying.
“We are deeply honoured to have their trust as collaborators in bringing this incredibly special project to life.”—