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WWE legend The Rock looks unrecognizable as UFC icon Mark Kerr as fans gasp ‘that can’t be him?’ filming for new biopic
Kerr spoke to The Sun about the casting choice
DWAYNE Johnson is rocking a new look.
The actor's next role will be playing UFC icon Mark Kerr in biopic The Smashing Machine.
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And The Rock, 52, looked a completely new man in the latest photos from set.
His famous dome is covered by a curly wig and prosthetics have altered the appearance of his face.
"That can't be him," commented on fan.
"He looks so different," added another.
"I actually had to zoom in to make sure that was him because wow… literally unrecognizable!" a third wrote.
Johson will appear next to Emily Blunt, Lyndsey Gavin and Oleksandr Usyk among others.
And UFC chief Dana White has tipped him to be in contention for an Oscar.
"I don't know if you saw it, but he was showing on his Instagram the other day that he messed up his elbow," White told Collider.
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"The Rock will kill this. He will nail this role. I know how serious he's taking this, I know who's working with him, and I know how hard he's working on this film.
"I think that this could be the opportunity for The Rock to actually be nominated for an Oscar.
Dwayne Johnson fans think the actor looks 'unrecognizable' in the first look for upcoming movie The Smashing Machine
"This has been a passion project for him for a while, and he has 100% of the support from the UFC.
"Obviously, he's a friend of mine, and this is his chance for an Oscar."
Johnson is playing lead in the film, which is directed by Benny Safdie.
Blunt is rumored to be playing Kerr's ex-wife Dawn Staples.
Two-time mixed martial arts heavyweight champion Kerr, 55, dished out plenty of beatings in his time — and suffered in return.
What We Know About The Smashing Machine...
The Smashing Machine was first announced in 2023 and was revealed to that Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's next huge project.
The movie will depict the life and story of former UFC fighter and mixed martial artist, Mike Kerr.
Mark was born in 1968 and won UFC World Heavy Weight Champion twice in his vast a varied career as well as both gold and silver in the World Cup.
The Smashing Machine is thought to focus on his history of substance abuse and his relationship with his then-girlfriend, Dawn Staples, played by Emily Blunt.
A HBO documentary about Mark's life was released in 2002, but this is the first partly fictionalized movie.
The movie, directed by Benny Safdie, has no official release date but is thought to be hitting cinemas in early 2025, with filming having started around May 2024.
Dwayne and Emily featured in the first promotional pictures, which showed the wrestler sat in the corner of a ring in pain in the middle of what appeared to be one of his iconic fights.
Actress Lyndsey Gavin will also appear alongside wrestlers Ryan Bader, and Oleksandr Usyk in the upcoming biopic.
The athlete, who retired in 2009 and became a car dealer, revealed the depths he plummeted to in an exclusive interview with The Sun.
Ahead of filming, The Rock told his pal Kerr: “This is the biggest honour of my life to do this role.”
The former UFC star believes the actor will do his life story justice, concluding: “It gives me goosebumps because when he says it you know he means it.”
“I’m at a point in my career where I want to push myself in ways that I’ve not pushed myself in the past," The Rock said after taking the role.
"I want to make films that matter, that explore humanity and struggle.”
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