At a glance, it makes sense why Dwayne Johnson would want to make The Smashing Machine. A biographical drama about UFC fighter Mark Kerr, the new film from writer/director Benny Safdie explores the highs and lows in the ring and beyond it. But it wasn't Safdie, the celebrated co-helmer of Uncut Gems, that came to Johnson. It was the other way around. And yet the movie almost didn't happen, except for an awkward moment Safdie shared with his Oppenheimer co-star Emily Blunt.

How did all of this lead to a hard-hitting drama that has critics praising Johnson's dramatic chops? Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko spoke with Johnson, Safdie, and Blunt during a virtual junket, and learned how one vulnerable question and a missing sweater played an unexpected role in The Smashing Machine c

See Full Page