"Give the make-up team the award now" - Fans stunned by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's "crazy transformation" for Mark Kerr's role in MMA biopic

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson recently unveiled the first look of his upcoming portrayal of MMA legend Mark Kerr in the A24 drama 'The Smashing Machine', directed by Benny Safdie and co-starring Emily Blunt.

Kerr was a two-time UFC heavyweight tournament champion and a world Vale Tudo championship tournament winner. Throughout his combat sports career, he secured over two dozen MMA titles.

In the first look of the film, Johnson appears as the typically ripped Kerr, enhanced with facial prosthetics to fully embody the MMA icon. The image, although sparse in details, shows Johnson during a fight, being attended to by his coaches.

Check out Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's post below:

Fans responded to the veteran WWE superstar's transformed appearance for his role in 'The Smashing Machine' with a variety of reactions, some suggesting that 'The Rock' looks scarcely recognizable.

One fan wrote:

"Give the make-up team the award now."

Another wrote:

"That’s some crazy transformation!!! Wow."

A fan stated that Johnson resembled former UFC middleweight title contender Chael Sonnen:

"That almost looks like Chael P Sonnen."

Check out more fan reactions below:

Credits: @therock on Instagram

'The Smashing Machine' centers on Kerr's tumultuous life, navigating addiction and marital challenges while rising as a sports icon, with Blunt portraying Dawn Staples, Kerr’s wife.

The film marks Safdie's debut as a solo feature director, having previously collaborated with his brother Josh on various A24 projects. Johnson and Safdie initially joined forces for the project in 2019, but due to the pandemic, their communication faltered, leading to the postponement of the film.

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Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson shares positive outlook on preparing for role honoring Mark Kerr

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson took to Instagram recently, where he posted a video of himself practicing submission moves with a training partner in preparation for his portrayal of Mark Kerr in the upcoming film 'The Smashing Machine'.

Johnson accompanied the video with a caption in which he mentioned that he's diligently working and pleased with his progress:

"Working hard and feeling good about my progress so far, but far from satisfied. Approaching this as a total student of the game, absorbing and learning as much as I can, day by day. It’s my absolute honor to pay respect and homage to @UFC & Vale Tudo heavyweight champion Mark Kerr and all the founding fathers of MMA."

Check out Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's post below: