In today’s cover story segment of the “Daily Variety” podcast, Variety’s Daniel Daddario steps into the ring to capture the backstory of “Smashing Machine” and Dwayne Johnson’s transformation as an actor. Mark Malkin hosts a variety show Red Carpet Rundown with the one and only Gorge Clooney. And Todd Longwell covers the business case for Variety’s Business Manager Elite List.
Mr. Daddario sat down with Mr. Johnson just before the A24-distributed biopic about mixed martial arts fighter Mark Carr premiered to rave reviews at the Venice Film Festival in August. Then the season opened with shockingly low turnout for a star player of Johnson’s stature. To his credit, Johnson spoke candidly and maturely about the film, which was a box office flop.
“When I wanted to interview him, to set the scene, the movie hadn’t been released yet and I had booked the cover about a month and a half after the release date. So I decided to tell him the full story of the movie, how it was made and how it came together for release,” says Daddario. “Once it came out, it became clear that audiences weren’t looking for it. It was the type of movie that maybe people wouldn’t go to the theaters for anymore. It was one of several movies that came out this fall: ‘Roofman,’ ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere.'” A star-driven movie with adult themes and artistic ambition. People are willing to wait for VOD. So it became something that we felt needed to be considered in the story, not because it’s a historical bomb. it’s not. But this story, as any good martial artist knows, is about how the movie changed Johnson as an actor and as a part. What matters is how you get back up after being knocked out. ”
Longwell, Variety’s legal and finance editor, details the important role executives play in their clients’ lives. Variety will hold its annual Business Managers Breakfast event on November 13th in West Hollywood.
“They like to say they’re the CFO of their customers’ lives. They handle a lot of different things. They make sure they pay their taxes, they make sure they have long-term life plans. They help them buy a home, they help them buy a car. They sometimes help them hire and fire household staff and personal staff,” Longwell says. “But as they say, it’s not just about money. Anyone can add or subtract. And especially with all the software tools we have today, you can work with the money part. It’s also important to treat them as a kind of money therapist.”
(Photo: ‘Smashing Machines’ starring Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson and directed by Benny Safdie)
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