The Rock's 2024 WWE Availability Likely To Be Impacted By Upcoming Film Project

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has been around WWE a great deal more since joining the TKO Board of Directors earlier this year. However, Johnson still has a major Hollywood career to balance as well, and a new report from PWInsider indicates that The Rock will be absent for a considerable chunk of time this year.

The report states that the upcoming movie "The Smashing Machine," starring Johnson, is set to film from May 1 through August 1. While Johnson may not be needed for the entirety of the shoot, he is the lead, and his heavy involvement would likely preclude any physical activity in WWE.

Johnson will star in the film as former UFC fighter and collegiate wrestler Mark Kerr. The movie will be based on the 2002 documentary "The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Mark Kerr," and is also set to star Emily Blunt as Kerr's wife, Dawn Staples. Johnson's Seven Bucks production company will produce with Benny Safdie at the director's helm.

Before he leaves to begin filming, Johnson will wrestle inside a WWE ring for the first time since 2016, or 2013 if you don't count his six-second WWE WrestleMania victory against Erick Rowan. On the first night of WWE WrestleMania 40, The Rock will team with his cousin, Roman Reigns, against Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins. The outcome of that match will then have an effect on Reigns vs. Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship the following evening.

It was recently revealed that this year's WWE SummerSlam will take place on August 3 in Cleveland, Ohio. With filming of "The Smashing Machine" reportedly wrapping up days before, the timing could line up nicely for Johnson to make an appearance, if not wrestle at the event.