Proper news from Britain - News from Britain you won’t find anywhere else. Not the tosh the big media force-feed you every day!
It wasn't too long ago that Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson was the biggest and highest-paid star in Hollywood.
Thanks to the Fast & Furious franchise, along with roles in blockbusters like Jumanji and Netflix's Red Notice, the 53-year-old was able to shake off his pro-wrestling past and establish himself as a major box office draw.
However, Johnson has recently faced a string of devastating flops that have left some wondering if The Rock is about to drop down to the B-list.
On top of flopping commercially, the former WWE superstar has also struggled to establish himself as a serious, award-worthy actor following the release of his artsy sports biopic The Smashing Machine.
The film, based on the life of MMA fighter Mark Kerr, was written and directed by acclaimed Uncut Gems auteur Benny Safdie and was touted as an Oscar vehicle for Johnson.
Unfortunately the film was a box office disaster, earning just $10 million at the US box office despite its $50 million budget.
Critical reviews for the movie were also mixed, although Johnson did receive almost universal praise for his performance.
Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan was one of the big names to throw his support behind the star, recently saying, 'I think it's an incredible performance. I don't think you'll see a better performance this year or most other years.'
Johnson himself addressed the film's poor showing in an emotional post last week, writing, 'In our storytelling world, you can't control box office results.'
He continued, 'But what I realized you can control is your performance, and your commitment to completely disappear and go elsewhere. I will always run to that opportunity.
'It was my honor to transform in this role for my director Benny Safdie. Thank you brother for believing in me. Truth is this film has changed my life.'
The Smashing Machine is far from the only flop that Johnson's dealt with in recent years.
He headlined DC's Black Adam, which disastrously tanked both critically and commercially.
The comic book blockbuster failed to break even and led to Warner Bros. deciding to reboot the DC universe without Johnson involved.
Johnson, alongside Zac Efron, also failed to yield positive results in the big budget remake of Baywatch.
He attempted another mainstream crowd pleaser with Disney's Jungle Cruise in 2021, but it barely managed to make back its $200 million budget.
Critics and film bros online have been quick to call out Johnson's downfall at the box office.
YouTuber John Campea recently said that Johnson's 'reign at the box office was officially over' and that his 'broad appeal has clearly started to wane.'
Despite the backlash, The Rock still has a shot at regaining his spot at the top of Hollywood.
He has sequels to his highest-grossing franchises in the works, with Jumanji 3 due out next year, followed by Fast X: Part 2 due in 2027.
A sequel to Jungle Cruise is also in the works due to the movie's strong performance on the Disney+ streaming service, which helped to make up for how poorly it did at the box office.
Johnson will also headline a live action version of Moana, which is expected to be a huge hit based off the billion-dollar gross of the animated Moana 2 last year.
Outside of the mainstream blockbusters, Johnson and Safdie are also getting another shot together despite the failure of The Smashing Machine.
According to Deadline, Johnson will star in Safdie's Lizard Music, which has been picked up by Amazon MGM Studios.
'We are so thrilled to partner once again with extraordinarily talented Dwayne Johnson, as well as work for the first time with the amazing creator, writer and director Benny Safdie, on Lizard Music,' the studio said in a statement.
'Everyone at Amazon MGM and UA is deeply inspired by their previous collaboration on the critically acclaimed The Smashing Machine,' they continued.
'We are so excited to now collaborate with them on this imaginative, entertaining and cinematic story; Lizard Music is a tale that feels both timeless and unique. We are very fortunate that they have trusted us to be their studio partners.