Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio are teaming up with Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt in a new, yet-to-be-titled crime film. Though the drama is still being shopped around to movie studios and streaming platforms, it has already been coined a hot package, thanks to the film’s new attachments of DiCaprio and Scorsese.
According to a February 20, 2025 Deadline exclusive, this untitled drama will focus on organized crime in Hawaii in the 1960s and 1970s. Johnson will reportedly star as a crime boss seeking to gain control of the Hawaiian underworld, battling rival gangsters and mainland American businesses along the way. The film is based on a real, untold story about one man’s brutal quest for power — all while trying to preserve Hawaii from destructive foreign interests.
Johnson and Blunt reportedly brought this crime film idea to Scorsese and DiCaprio, to direct and star in, respectively. Once both became attached to the movie, they all reached out to Nick Bilton to write the script. Meanwhile, Johnson, Blunt, Scorsese, DiCaprio, Bilton, Rick York, Lisa Frechette, and Dany Garcia will produce the film. However, the film still needs a distributor. As the movie is already being likened to Goodfellas and The Departed, it will hopefully also find a home soon!
New Hawaiian Crime Film Marks Another Turn in Dwayne Johnson’s Career
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
This untitled Hawaiian mafia movie is yet another interesting turn in Johnson’s career. Though The Rock has been a big draw in movie theaters around the country for more than a decade, he’s mostly been relegated to family films or action blockbusters. Notably, two of his last biggest films — 2022’s Black Adam and 2024’s Red One — have been critical and box office flops. Now, it appears Johnson is ready to make a huge change in his career.
Johnson will star in The Smashing Machine, an upcoming A24 drama directed by the critically acclaimed Benny Safdie, one half of the Safdie Brothers. Blunt, who first collaborated with Johnson in Jungle Cruise, will also star in this highly anticipated film. So far, it’s been said that Johnson’s role in The Smashing Machine is the most serious role he’s had thus far in his entire career. Johnson will play MMA fighter Mark Kerr, a champion who struggled with addiction as he rose to the top.
Johnson’s serious turn and a critical role, given the story around the main character, in The Smashing Machine is already making waves — and the movie hasn’t even been released.
The Smashing Machine does not have an official release date yet, though it is set to be out in theaters sometime this year. Meanwhile, DiCaprio and Scorsese are also working on their next collaboration, which is a film adaptation of the book The Devil in the White City. More details about both the new titles have yet to be unveiled.
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The Smashing Machine |
|---|---|
| Cast | Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Lyndsey Gavin, Oleksandr Usyk, Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten, Zoe Kosovic |
| Release Date | 2025 |
| Stream On | To be announced |
| Directed by | Benny Safdie |
| Produced by | Dwayne Johnson, Benny Safdie, Eli Bush, David Koplan |
| Based On | The life of MMA fighter Mark Kerr |
| Plot Summary | A biographical drama following legendary MMA fighter Mark Kerr, exploring his struggles with addiction, relationships, and his career peak in 2000. |
| Musical Elements | Score composed by Nala Sinephro |
| Current Status | Filming completed in August 2024; set for release in 2025 |
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