Dwayne Johnson Set to Star in UFC Legend Mark Kerr Biopic
The Rock meets The Smashing Machine.
Ahead of UFC 244 at the Madison Square Garden, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson took to the state at weigh-ins to reveal his plans to star in a biopic about UFC legend Mark Kerr.
Known to mixed martial arts fans as The Smashing Machine, The Titan, and The Specimen, Kerr was an American champion collegiate wrestler that helped pioneer the sport of MMA. During his prime, Kerr was regarded as the “best fighter in the world” winning the World Vale Tudo Championship tournament, serving as a two-time UFC heavyweight tournament winner and competition in the grueling PRIDE FC Championship in Japan.
Set to be produced by Johnson’s Seven Bucks Productions company with Kerr’s blessing, alongside Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, and Beau Flynn, the film will tell the story of the champion that battled person demons tied to mental health, opiate addiction and the pressures of fame. Johnson notes that he gravitated to the story of Mark Kerr after watching the 2002 documentary The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr, which highlighted the brutal side of early MMA and the legendary fighter’s trouble with addiction.
Although already in early development, the Mark Kerr biopic is not currently attached to a studio. Stay tuned for more details.
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