Dwayne Johnson is taking a prestige swing in the new A24 drama “The Smashing Machine,” and the first trailer for the film shows the blockbuster movie star conjuring a performance of a very different sort.

Johnson plays UFC legend Mark Kerr in the biographical drama, which charts the up-and-down career of the mixed martial arts fighter during the no-holds-barred era of the UFC alongside his girlfriend, played by Emily Blunt.

The film is written and directed by Benny Safdie, one half of the Safdie Brothers directing duo, who gained acclaim with their gritty, stress-inducing films “Good Time” and “Uncut Gems.”

The movie also marks something of a pivot for Johnson, whose career was built on positioning himself as a movie star and who has almost exclusively played heroes for the last decade. He appears to be putting in the work — the performance is somewhat transformative, with Johnson even donning an accent.