As previously reported, the A24 film “The Smashing Machine” performed poorly during its opening weekend, grossing only $6 million.
According to Deadline.com, WWE legend Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson received a $4 million paycheck for his role in the film, which is significantly less than his usual asking price of over $20 million (a figure that often includes additional points based on net box office revenue).
The report also mentions that Johnson even shared part of his salary with Emily Blunt and Mark Kerr, the UFC alumnus he portrays in the film.
The article further states that the film is unlikely to incur substantial losses, as A24 sold the foreign distribution rights for approximately $35 million. Furthermore, the marketing costs for the film, budgeted at $50 million, were relatively low at just $15 million.
If the film’s domestic earnings reach between $14 million and $20 million, it is projected to lose only $10 million to $15 million. While these figures are not ideal, they are considerably better than what most films of this budget would lose with such a low gross. A24, as a smaller independent studio, has various methods to manage expenses, including a pay-one streaming deal with HBO Max.
