Oleksandr Usyk to make Hollywood debut alongside Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson: Reports
Oleksandr Usyk is reportedly primed to make his Hollywood debut. He'll star in a movie in which the lead role would be essayed by WWE legend and Hollywood megastar, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.
As suggested by his IMDB page, 'The Cat' has previously featured in documentaries, TV shows, music videos, and more. He's also modeled for various brands, capitalizing on his boxing popularity. Moreover, Usyk's IMDB page currently indicates that he's expected to portray the role of Igor Vovchanchyn in the upcoming Hollywood movie, 'The Smashing Machine.'
A report from Ukrainska Pravda highlighted the same. Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk will play the role of Vovchanchyn, a Ukrainian combatant who faced fellow fearsome martial artist Kerr twice in MMA.
Vovchanchyn defeated Kerr via second-round TKO at Pride 7 (Sept. 1999). However, the verdict was later overturned to an NC (No Contest), as the knockout was a result of knees to a downed opponent's head and such knee strikes were illegal in Pride FC at that time. In their rematch, which transpired at Pride 12 - Cold Fury (Dec. 2000), Vovchanchyn beat him via unanimous decision.
"The Smashing Machine" is based on the life of former MMA fighter Mark Kerr, also known by his moniker 'The Smashing Machine.' An NCAA Division I champion and four-time ADCC champion, the grappling savant's MMA career (Jan. 1997 to Aug. 2009) saw him fight in the UFC and Pride FC.
Kerr won the UFC 14 Heavyweight Tournament and UFC 15 Heavyweight Tournament. The 55-year-old valiantly battled substance abuse over the years, as highlighted in the 2002 documentary, 'The Smashing Machine.'
The upcoming movie, too, will be titled 'The Smashing Machine.' A Daily Express US report has also addressed boxing's reigning undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk's role in the movie.
The film is being produced by Johnson's 'Seven Bucks Productions' and distributed by A24. Benny Safdie (one-half of the Safdie brothers director duo) will serve as the director and co-writer with Kerr.
Reigning Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader will act as Kerr's real-life friend and fellow MMA legend Mark Coleman. The film also stars Emily Blunt (as Kerr's ex-wife, Dawn Staples), Lyndsey Gavin, and Zoe Kosovic.
The project was initially expected to start in 2019 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It'll likely be released in 2025. Johnson recently posted an image of himself as Kerr, earning tremendous appreciation from fans for the make-up department's impeccable work.
Eddie Hearn's praise seemingly served as a harbinger of Oleksandr Usyk's silver-screen debut
As reported by The Sun in 2020, Matchroom Boxing's Eddie Hearn waxed lyrical about Oleksandr Usyk. The UK boxing promoter underscored that despite lacking the ability to efficiently communicate in the English language and connect with an English-speaking audience, Usyk's charisma is such that he could make a mark in the entertainment industry.
Hearn said:
"Usyk is so fascinating, he is a star, made for movies."
As for Oleksandr Usyk, he was heading into a fight against veteran UK boxer Derek Chisora back then and seemed to suggest that he wasn't going to cross over to Hollywood anytime soon. Nevertheless, 'The Cat' appeared to point out that when he isn't motivated to train and fight anymore, he'll consider switching his boxing gloves for a movie career in Hollywood.