Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s latest film, The Smashing Machine, may have landed on WWE fans’ screens, but not many made the trip to the theater.

The biopic sees Johnson take on the role of former UFC and PRIDE fighter Mark Kerr, a man whose triumphs in the cage were matched by chaos outside it. Based on HBO’s early 2000s documentary of the same name, the movie dives deep into Kerr’s battles with addiction and fame , a story Johnson called a personal passion project.

Despite its emotional weight, the film stumbled out of the gate. Opening weekend numbers came in at just $6 million on a $50 million budget, trailing behind Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl ($33 million) and One Battle After Another ($11 million) , the lowest debut of Johnson’s career.

Still, The Rock is standing tall. In a heartfelt Instagram post, he thanked fans and reflected on what truly mattered to him:

“From deep in my grateful bones, thank you to everyone who has watched The Smashing Machine,” Johnson wrote. “In our storytelling world, you can’t control box office results, but what I realized you can control is your performance, and your commitment to completely disappear and go elsewhere. And I will always run to that opportunity.”

He continued, “It was my honor to transform in this role for my director Benny Safdie. Thank you brother for believing in me. Truth is this film has changed my life.”

While The Smashing Machine did not explode at the box office, it’s finding new life through word of mouth. Critics have given it a 74% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with audiences rating it 78%. The film has even earned a “Certified Fresh” seal – hinting at a potential awards-season sleeper.