Actors Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson on the red carpet for The Smashing Machine at the Venice Film Festival on Monday.

Dwayne Johnson takes a serious turn as UFC fighter Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine , which had its world premiere Monday at the Venice Film Festival.

“I have for a long time wanted this,” Johnson said before the premiere. “The transformation part was something I was really hungry to do. I’ve been very fortunate to have the career that I’ve had and make the films that I have, but there was just this voice inside of me, this little voice, like what if I can do more.”

The actor, best known for big-budget action movies and comedies, is already sparking Oscar buzz for his transformation in the film, directed by Benny Safdie. The festival has launched several recent best

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