Christopher Nolan supports Dwyane Johnson amid 'The Smashing Machine' box office disaster

Christopher Nolan made sure to extend his support to Dwayne Johnson after the actor’s latest movie, The Smashing Machine, released on October 3, 2025, didn’t perform well at the box office.

It is pertinent to mention that the sports drama is about the life of MMA legend Mark Kerr.

Speaking with movie's filmmaker Benny Safdie on The Director’s Cut podcast, the 55-year-old British-American director gushed about Johnson’s commendable performance.

He described the 53-year-old actor and wrestler’s acting as “heartbreaking” and “incredible.”

Nolan added, “I don’t think you’ll see a better performance this year or most other years.”

While the Inception director and the Jumanji star haven’t collaborated on a project yet, the two have long shared mutual respect and admiration.

Nolan has been open about his love for the Fast & Furious films, while Johnson has called his experience watching Oppenheimer in IMAX “amazing.”

Toward the end, Nolan congratulated Safdie for his remarkable work.

"Congratulations on the movie. It’s a really remarkable and radical piece of work that will be understood more and more over time. I’m very proud to know you,” he said.