One of Hollywood’s safest bets just took a rare loss. His answer involves J.J. Abrams, a meta gamble and a question: what if the screen punched back?
Dwayne Johnson just watched his bruising turn as Mark Kerr in Smashing Machine fall short of the knockout, and he is already setting up the next round with J.J. Abrams and writer Zak Penn. The trio is cooking up a big-screen riff on movies coming to life, a high-concept swing that slots into Johnson’s recent pivot toward riskier collaborators. In parallel, he is circling projects with Darren Aronofsky, Benny Safdie and Martin Scorsese, while Disney readies his live-action Vaiana for July 2026. There is no release date yet for the Abrams venture, but the intent is clear: recalibrate the star’s playbook without losing the crowd-pleasing punch.
A rocky road: reflecting on Smashing Machine
Dwayne Johnson, often hailed as one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars, is taking an uncommon risk with Smashing Machine, portraying Mark Kerr in a grounded MMA character study directed by Benny Safdie. It marks a clear step away from the quip-driven spectacle that built his box office aura, a pivot intended to showcase range rather than scale. For some fans, the shift raises questions about genre expectations and star image, yet Johnson appears undeterred, treating the project as a springboard to a new phase.
The next big thing: J.J. Abrams and a film about movies
Johnson is aligning with J.J. Abrams and screenwriter Zak Penn on a high-concept adventure built around the idea of movies coming to life. Details remain under wraps, but the meta conceit invites comparisons to Last Action Hero and Pixels, with a promise of nostalgia layered over contemporary spectacle. There is no confirmed release date, and the project is described as in development, but early chatter points to a glossy, audience-friendly package that could reintroduce Johnson’s playful star power on a large canvas.
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Big names, bold moves
Beyond Abrams, Johnson’s slate signals ambition across contrasting sensibilities. Industry talk has linked him to exploratory projects with Martin Scorsese and Darren Aronofsky, a notable contrast with his action-first branding, while ongoing collaboration with Benny Safdie underlines his appetite for edgier, character-forward work. None of these packages are officially dated, yet the mix suggests a deliberate strategy to balance prestige-leaning material with mainstream reach.
Other projects on the horizon
On the family front, Johnson returns as Maui in Disney’s live-action Moana, slated for theaters in July 2026. Rumors also swirl about future pairings with talents like Emily Blunt and Glen Powell, though these remain unconfirmed. Meanwhile, development on Jungle Cruise 2 has reportedly been halted, a reminder that even long-gestating follow-ups can shift as strategies evolve.
Reinvention in the spotlight
The Abrams collaboration stands out as a potential pivot point, inviting Johnson to fold reinvention into a large-scale, audience-facing concept. Whether Smashing Machine ultimately proves divisive or warmly embraced, the broader trajectory suggests a star leveraging versatility, recalibrating tone, and aiming to meet audiences with new textures without abandoning the crowd-pleasing instincts that made him a fixture of modern moviegoing.