A new report from Deadline has revealed that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson took a substantial pay cut for his new A24 drama, “The Smashing Machine,” a project he has been passionate about for years. The news comes as the film, a biopic about former UFC fighter Mark Kerr, experienced the lowest box office debut of Johnson’s illustrious acting career.
The film, which had a production budget of $50 million, grossed only $6 million in its opening weekend, falling well short of its projected range of $8 million to $15 million. According to the Deadline report, Johnson’s compensation for the film was a fraction of his typical asking price, and he even shared a portion of his earnings with his co-star and the man he portrayed.
“[Dwayne] Johnson took a $4M fee, significantly below his historical $20M+ paycheck plus points. Sources say he even gave a portion of his paycheck to Emily Blunt and [Mark] Kerr.”
The film finished third at the weekend box office, behind a new Taylor Swift documentary and the war drama “One Battle After Another.” The $6 million opening was lower than the $8.5 million debut of his 2010 film, “Faster,” making it a new career low for the global superstar. Following the disappointing opening weekend, Johnson took to his Instagram account to post a message to his fans, acknowledging the box office results but remaining proud of the film and the story it told.