The Rock Is Back To Work And Filming Mixed Martial Arts Movie The Smashing Machine, And I'm Loving The Cool Food And Views Of Japan
Anyone want to fly me to Japan, too?
You may not be surprised to hear that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson remains one of the busiest stars in all of Hollywood. Not only has he continued to amass acting roles in major movies, but he’s also held down responsibilities tied to the WWE. Most recently, though, Johnson has been busy working on a new movie, mixed martial arts biopic The Smashing Machine. Production, unfortunately, hit a bit of a snag nearly earlier this summer when Johnson was injured while filming. However, the star is back to work on the film, which is partially being filmed in Japan. With that, Johnson posted about some of the views and food that he’s been able to take in, and I’m loving his posts.
Some of the principal photography is specifically set to take place in Tokyo, which is easily one of the most unique cities in the world. Two of the elements that the location is greatly known for are its geographical beauty and its cuisine. When it comes to the former, The Rock took to Instagram to share a shot of the Japanese landscape from his room. It’s an excellent video that features a perfect aerial view, and you can see it for yourself by checking out the post, which has been added below for your convenience:
A post shared by Dwayne Johnson (@therock)
A photo posted by on
It’s hard not to be envious when getting a look at the views that the Red Notice star shared. Japan is a place that I’ve long thought about visiting, and this video may further entice me to finally make plans for such a trip. (I also hope that he eventually posts footage of the temples where he’ll be filming later on.) Of course, that view isn’t the only element that now has me thinking even more about making my way to “the land of the rising sun.” In a second video shared to Instagram, the Jungle Cruise actor shared a video of the delicious vittles that he’s been chowing down on while overseas. What you’ll see in the video below is a massive spread of sushi, and the actor seemed quite excited to dig into it:
A post shared by Dwayne Johnson (@therock)
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Do yourself a favor, and get someone who gushes over you the way Dwayne Johnson lovingly talks about sushi. But, seriously, that all looks amazing, and my mouth is watering just looking at all of it. Johnson’s A+ cheat meal posts have been well documented by this point and, in many cases, sushi, has been part of those spreads. So it definitely tracks that the star wanted to grab some authentic Japanese food while visiting the culturally rich country.
Of course, aside from taking in the scenery and the food, the A-lister definitely seems to be aware that his top priority in Japan is to film The Smashing Machine. The upcoming A24 movie, which is directed and written by Benny Safdie, chronicles the ups and downs of former wrestler and MMA fighter Mark Kerr, who The Rock is playing. Anyone familiar with Kerr’s story likely knows that he found much professional success but also battled personal demons throughout the course of his career. Among the ensemble of stars that’s joining the wrestler-turned-actor in the film are Emily Blunt, Lyndsey Gavin, Ryan Bader, Oleksandr Usyk and Satoshi Ishii.
It was in June that Dwayne Johnson revealed that he’d been “smashed up” while working on the upcoming sports flick. After confirming the injury, Johnson showed off his “boo boo” in a video post to social media, which showed his badly bruised elbow. The Jumanji star confirmed that he had a ruptured bursa sac and said that it would eventually heal. Well, based on his demeanor in his more recent social media videos, Johnson seems to be feeling good.
Most of us would probably be in great spirits if we were living it up in Japan while filming a massive movie, though. But don’t take that last remark as shade, as I’m glad that The Rock is back to work and enjoying what the country has to offer. Here’s to a successful, fun and injury-free shoot for him and his crew. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some reservations to book.
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A release date has yet to be announced for The Smashing Machine, but I’d suggest keeping your eyes peeled on the 2025 movie schedule, in case it lands there. And, in the meantime, read up on new 2024 film releases that’ll be heading your way soon.
Erik Swann is a Senior Content Producer at CinemaBlend. He began working with the publication in 2020 when he was hired as Weekend Editor. Today, he continues to write, edit and handle social media responsibilities over the weekend. On weekdays, he also writes TV and movie-related news and helps out with editing and social media as needed. He graduated from the University of Maryland, where he received a degree in Broadcast Journalism. After shifting into multi-platform journalism, he started working as a freelance writer and editor before joining CB. Covers superheroes, sci-fi, comedy, and almost anything else in film and TV. He eats more pizza than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.