Christopher Nolan praises Benny Safdie and Dwayne Johnson for Smashing Machine

“It will be better understood over time,” assures the British director.

With only $5.9 million at the US box office for its first weekend, Smashing Machine clearly missed its launch. A hard blow for Benny Safdie, for his first solo production without his brother Josh, and Dwayne Johnson, who invested a lot to play MMA champion Mark Kerr in this A24 biopic with a budget of 50 million.

A predicted flop likely to undermine the film in the race for the Oscars. After his presentation in Venice, where he won the Silver Lion and won over the critics, he was nevertheless one of the favorites, in particular The Rock in the best male actor category. Iron Clawalso produced by A24, experienced the same problem two years ago.

But a reinforcement of weight could perhaps reroll the dice. Guest with Bennie Safdie on The Director’s Cut podcast (via Variety), Christopher Nolan gave his support to Smashing Machinepraising in particular the service “heartbreaking” by Dwayne Johnson.

“I think it’s an incredible performance. I don’t think we’re seeing a better performance this year, or even most other years.“

Nolan, who filmed his highly anticipated new blocbkuster this summer, The Odysseyalso comforted his fellow director on the commercial reception of Smashing Machine :

“Congratulations on the film. It is a truly remarkable and radical work that will become better and better understood over time. I am very proud to know you“.

Nolan and Benny Safdie are indeed friends. The second played nuclear physicist Edward Teller in Oppenheimerand the British filmmaker again gave him a role (a priori Agamemnon) in his adaptation of The Odyssey. But this public speaking by the Oscar-winning director is no less important.

Proof of the good understanding between the two men, Nolan did not fail to tease Benny about the fact that he would have recruited Emily Blunt (who plays Dwayne Johnson’s wife in Samshing Machine) on the set ofOppenheimer :

“I heard a rumor that while you were supposed to be learning your lines on my set, you were actually approaching people to be in your film. I didn’t know it at the time, but apparently it worked well for you.”