There are a lot of different ways to define success in the movie game. Some people look at box office. Some people look at reviews. Some people look at nominations and awards. At film festivals, that measure is typically standing ovations, as Dwayne Johnson discovered earlier this year.
The Rock, Emily Blunt and director Benny Safdie took The Smashing Machine to Venice for its premiere, and it was the first time the WWE Champion turned biggest start in Hollywood had ever been invited to such a prestigious festival. Prior to the debut, he started noticing all these other stars who were there and stories floating around about how long the standing ovations were for their movies. As a first timer, he was understandably a little anxious about how The Smashing Machine would be received, and on reflection, he’s not too cool to admit it.
