Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Emily Blunt were in Venice on Monday to premiere their new film, The Smashing Machine. It was directed by Benny Safdie, and it’s about the real UFC fighter Mark Kerr. Apparently, the Venice audience loved the film, loved The Rock as Kerr and loved Emily Blunt as Kerr’s partner Dawn Staples-Kerr. Venice gave the film and the actors a 15-minute standing ovation.
This is the second time Emily and Dwayne have worked together, and they seem to get along really well. To be fair, Emily seems to be besties with ALL of her costars, but she and Dwayne seemed especially giggly and affectionate with one another. Dwayne has apparently lost something like 60 pounds for this role, and he’s maintained the new physique since the film wrapped. It’s apparently a new thing for him, he wants to be taken more seriously as an actor, and he also had/has some health issues (which he isn’t disclosing with any specificity beyond “gut issues”).
As for Emily…she wore Tamara Ralph Fall 2025 Couture to the big Venice premiere. I’m not really a fan of this design? I always debate myself whether I want to talk about Emily’s cosmetic work too, so all I’ll say is that she doesn’t need all of that and it makes her look much older.
Dwayne Johnson is emotional during the 15-minute standing ovation of ‘THE SMASHING MACHINE’ at Venice Film Festival.
— Film Updates (@thefilmupdates.bsky.social) September 1, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt attend the “The Smashing Machine” photocall during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival in Venice, Italy on 01 September 2025.,Image: 1033243279, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Stefano Costantino TTL/Avalon
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- Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt attend the “The Smashing Machine” photocall during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival in Venice, Italy on 01 September 2025.,Image: 1033243310, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Stefano Costantino TTL/Avalon
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- Venice Biennale, 82nd Venice International Film Festival. Red carpet for the film The Smashing Machine. In the Photo Dwayne Johnson . Venice, Italy 01 September 2025,Image: 1033330181, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Maria Laura Antonelli/AGF Foto/Avalon
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- Venice Biennale, 82nd Venice International Film Festival. Red carpet for the film The Smashing Machine. In the Photo Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt . Venice, Italy 01 September 2025,Image: 1033330317, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Maria Laura Antonelli/AGF Foto/Avalon
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- Venice Biennale, 82nd Venice International Film Festival. Red carpet for the film The Smashing Machine. In the Photo Emily Blunt . Venice, Italy 01 September 2025,Image: 1033330377, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Maria Laura Antonelli/AGF Foto/Avalon
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- Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson attend attends the “The Smashing Machine” red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival in Venice, Italy on 01 September 2025.,Image: 1033360487, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Stefano Costantino TTL/Avalon
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- Europe, Italy, Lido di Venezia, September 01, 2025: Dwayne Johnson attends a red carpet for the movie ‘The Smashing Machine’ during the 82st Venice International Film Festival on September 01, 2025, in Venice, Italy.,Image: 1033503590, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: **** World right excluding Italy ****, Model Release: no, Credit line: Ottavia Da Re/Agenzia Sintesi/Avalon
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- Europe, Italy, Lido di Venezia, September 01, 2025: Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson attend a red carpet for the movie ‘The Smashing Machine’ during the 82st Venice International Film Festival on September 01, 2025, in Venice, Italy.,Image: 1033503628, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: **** World right excluding Italy ****, Model Release: no, Credit line: Ottavia Da Re/Agenzia Sintesi/Avalon
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- 82nd Venice International Film Festival. Red carpet for the film The Smashing Machine. In the photo Emily Blunt . Venice, Italy 01 September 2025,Image: 1033528145, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Mirco Toniolo/AGF Foto/Avalon
omg, the overdone bloated filler in Emily Blunt’s face…it looks so bad, like entering Real Housewives botch territory. Why is she overdoing them like this the last few years?! She’s 40! If the effort is to make her look younger, it’s actually having the opposite effect and aging her. So sad. She is beautiful and I wish she would stop.
She looks like Megan Fox. I honestly didn’t recognise her until I read the post.
Um… she’s veering dangerously into Kristi Noem territory. She’s changed the shape of her entire face.
I thought that too.
It’s weird to see her looking like a whole different person. Her original face was so beautiful and interesting, she doesn’t need to do this to herself.
It breaks my heart, she’s been smoothed.
And it’s not like she was some starlet riding on just her looks. She’s a serious actress who would work regardless! And still that pressure. Ugh.
This is so sad. She’s gorgeous naturally.
Oooof I love Emily Blunt but her face is morphing into Kristy Noem.
It really is. Talk about insult to injury…
The Rock has Ozempic face.
combined with backing off on the ‘roids is my guess — Dave Bautista did the same thing – traded one needle for another.
I don’t think Dave Bautista and The Rock had enough body fat to take a tirzepatide or a semaglutide. It would have just destroyed their bone mass. They probably just stopped taking “enhancements” and lowered the weights they are training with. The Rock has done this before, for Inspector Gadget. But he’s so much older now, and the body and skin won’t react the same.
HA! I just said that! Spot on.
I didn’t even recognize Emily Blunt.
And whatever to the Rock.
Emily’s hair color looks good.
It’s good to know that the old adage ‘it’s your face or your fanny’ ALSO applies to men.
Okay, this made me laugh. And feel better about choosing some extra fanny the past few years. But the slimmer physique is probably healthier overall for him than the really beefed up one. And once age catches up to you, it catches up either way.
I am pretty confident something is being lost in translation here as in the UK ‘fanny’ means your ladyparts.
Is it bum/backside? Like what we call a bumbag is a fanny pack in the US?
But it still very much made me laugh!
Ha, yes, fanny means butt! So basically have some extra weight and a fuller face v uber skinny and face that’s less full.
Saw a preview for the Kerr movie this weekend, Rock was unrecognizable! I thought the character looked like someone, but would not have guessed him.
Emily is so beautiful, the pressure to change your features must be tremendous
“also had/has some health issues (which he isn’t disclosing with any specificity beyond “gut issues”).”
Mmmhmmm. Paging Hugh Jackman, Chris Hemsworth, Austin Butler (from that photo shoot last week), and many others I could list. Allegedly! All allegedly. All just my speculation!
We know…we can tell. Stop letting “them” give you that “help”. Stop. Let’s get back to fit but natural male bodies. I’d like all these actors to be healthy for many years to come. Enough. Not a huge fan of the Rock but more power to him if he could start a trend.
I have very clear memories of watching the Gene Simmons family tv show- it was a time of rock star “family” tv shows. Osbournes being the most famous. Dee Snider’s family also had a show.
And Gene Simmons and his lovely, former playboy model, B movie actress Shannon Tweed both went in for like his and hers facelifts.
When he came home looking swollen and bandaged and stitched together, (i believe Shannon had to stay in hospital a 2nd day) their 14 yo daughter was traumatized and crying.
Simmons (audio only) seemed a sweet father, trying to find out what was wrong, telling her she didn’t need to look at him, since it was obviously upsetting to her, and within a few minutes of understanding why she was upset (scared for her parents health and safety and whole- cutting into their faces thing) he came out of her bedroom and told the cameras to GTFO for the night.
It really stayed with me.
When i see actors and actresses looking “refreshed” or older when they were going for “refreshed” i always think about that.
What they look like in the immediate aftermath, and how that effects their children.
What an interesting perspective. I am the only one in my friend group without Botox because I don’t want to send a message to the teenage girls in my life.
It’s not the same (bodily harm and trauma to kids) but sometimes when I’ve seen male actors with obviously color treated hair, I picture their macho dude selves sitting around with foils, waiting for the highlights/ lowlights processes to do their magic. Yes women color their hair too, but something about picturing male action stars with foils cracks me up.
I hate the color of the dress, or rather the lack thereof. Otherwise, it’s nicely draped, the weird ridge things are meh.
60 pounds is a lot to lose, and he doesn’t look significantly different to me? I hope he feels good at this size, I can’t imagine what kind of body issues he has as far as how he perceives himself and his muscles/size.
(1) I didn’t recognize her.
(2) What does one do for FIFTEEN minutes? Just stand there awkwardly? That sounds miserable!
Seconding both your points! I’m so sad that actors and actresses get so pressured to not age, or to minimise their natural face and body changes. The problem I have with it is less that individuals choose to do cosmetic work, that’s their prerogative, but it pulls me out of any visual art I consume because that’s what I notice straight from the off because it’s so unnatural and therefore distracting, and that’s before the major fact that it limits people’s ability to show emotion in their face, so how can I see what is trying to be conveyed?
I have NEVER understood the standing ovations that go on for frankly stupid lengths of time at film festivals. It’s just performative and has turned simple applause into another way to one-up against other people. If people like it, they’ll applaud. If they don’t, they won’t. A 1-2 minute ovation is incredible and says everything already, so what’s the point of dragging it out? Not to mention that my hands would hurt after like 2 minutes, then I’d just be thinking ‘how long do I need to keep doing this’.
The ovations seem to be a film festival thing. Wild. I did love that during the 15+ minute standing ovation for “The Testament of Ann Lee” about half way through Amanda said to her co-stars “what should we do now?” LOL, exactly, fair! You can only smile and wave and put your hand in your heart so much.
But the funniest story was Cate Blanchett’s movie. It got a five minute ovation, but it might have been longer because the director and cast left. It stopped because they left! Not in a rude or angry way just: OK thank you, we’re done now. 🤣 Perfect.
To me they both look like they have Ozempic face. And Emily kind of looks Elizabeth Olsen in that one pic. Definitely she doesn’t look like herself.
All that money on fillers just to end up looking like Cillian Murphy in a wig smdh.
I just don’t understand it, She’s always a been a natural beauty with great skin- WHY do this to herself? Why??
Emily’s face makes me sad 😣
I always hear about these long ovations and they blow my mind. It seems to have become “a thing” now. I can’t imagine applauding anything for 15 minutes but maybe I’m just a curmudgeon.
Over 20 years ago Salman Rushdie spoke at our local university. He spoke about pop culture, bemoaned Paris Hilton, really not anything of literature and he received a standing ovation. I remained remained seated.
My poor Emily is feeling the pressure of Hollywood and staying young but she’s gone too far in my opinion. She should speak to whoever Anne Hathaway goes to.
Dwayne wanting to be David Batista was definitely on my Bingo card. Dave and even John Cena are the goals of any pro athlete trying to step into the acting genre.
Him saying that he was pigeonholed is some BS. With a couple exceptions he’s the one who decided to play into big bad action hero. He’s such a try hard, catering to maga to make a few more million — Dwayne can take several seats with George Clooney and the other simps.
Emily is gone too far, but she should do what Anne did? Anne likely had a facelift, you can’t go farther than that. Emily looks like she has been doing injections not surgery.
I can’t help but feel bad for these women. They’re damned if they do and damned if they don’t. Whether people think it’s gone too far based on the skill level of their surgeon.
This is a neutral comparison, but does anyone else think skinny Rock looks just like skinny Al Roker in that last picture?
👋 I do!
I can’t stand him, he is surpassing Bradley Cooper with next level obnoxious love of himself. Unfortunately, one of the drawbacks of losing a lot of weight is that it can make you look drawn. He looks drawn…..
I’ve been reading reviews of his film – critics are talking about him being an Oscar contender. Who knew?
I think this dress is gorgeous but I don’t think the color works well for Emily, I think it would be much better in a bolder color.
Ozempic Face and Noem Face—no.
Emily’s face looks like the work hasn’t settled. Makes me think of Renee Z and Madonna. You could pop her face like a balloon it’s so tight and plumped.