As ‘The Smashing Machine’ hits theaters, the original documentary is nearly impossible to find

As The Smashing Machine nears its release date on Friday, Oct. 3, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson hasn’t been hard to find.

With appearances ranging from The Tonight Show, Good Morning America, CBS Sunday Morning, and even ESPN’s First Take, the pro wrestling legend-turned-actor has engaged in a P.R. blitz for the highly anticipated film, which has already garnered award season buzz.

The source material for the A24 biopic focused on UFC legend Mark Kerr; however, it has proven much more difficult to find than Johnson’s recent run of interviews. In fact, the original documentary — titled “The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr” — isn’t currently available on any major platforms, having originally debuted to critical acclaim on HBO in 2002.

That’s not to say the documentary is impossible to find, as it’s available via at least one DailyMotion upload (for now). But, you won’t find it on HBO Max, Netflix, Prime Video, Peacock, or any of the other mainstream streamers — a rarity in today’s content landscape, considering the attention its adaptation has received.

Speaking to The #Content Report, by Vince Mancini, the documentary’s director, John Hyams, was asked why the original project isn’t more widely available. And while he didn’t provide a clear answer to why nobody had the foresight to purchase it in conjunction with the film’s release, he did indicate that it will be available in the months ahead.

“Well, it just wasn’t [available anywhere]. And then we were like, once [the A24 film] came, we’re like, alright, well, let’s sell it again,” Hyams said. “So it will be by next year… after the new year, then it’ll be back.”

Hyams said that he’s currently in the process of shopping the project and is hopeful he’ll find “the right place to make a deal.” He also stated that there weren’t many issues regarding the footage that was used in the original documentary, as everything that was used in the project had either been licensed, received clearance, or fell under fair use protections.

While not having the original documentary more widely available at the moment might not be ideal for consumers, the film’s performance at the box office could help drive demand as Hyams shops the project. Especially so if Johnson and/or the movie continue to receive Oscar buzz, which would only make the original documentary a more appealing offering for streamers during next year’s awards season.