In a new cover story for Variety, Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, and Benny Safdie speak with Chief Correspondent Daniel D’Addario on The Smashing Machine.

Johnson discusses how the film allowed him to be vulnerable, dig deeper than he had in previous roles, and its box office performance. Safdie talks about the perceived rift with his brother Josh, Blunt discusses what happens when a film doesn’t do well at the box office, and more.

Johnson on digging into his “The Smashing Machine” character:

“I was in a comfort zone for quite some time,” Johnson says. “Making these big films — they’re hard to do, but they are comfortable. What I was scared of was exposing myself and exploring the deepest, darkest traumas.”

Johnson on what he was feeling when he burst into tears during the film’s standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival:

“It’s hard to find the language for it, because it’s so emotional,” he says. “It was just validation of this seemingly once-in-a-lifetime journey. Not only for us, but also for the man who actually lived it.”

Johnson on his experience of making the film:

“[It has] completely changed everything,” he says. “In ways that I could expect, perhaps in ways that I was hoping. But it completely changed the way I look at stories…From ‘Smashing Machine’ forward,” he says, “I will make movies for me. Because they’re my dream. Not anyone else’s.”

Safdie on the conjecture that there was a rift between him and his brother Josh after not thanking him during an acceptance speech:

“In that moment, I was thinking about this movie…I was talking about this movie. That’s where that came from.” The gossip about a rift, he says, “was shocking. Like, Oh, wow, that’s weird.

“We did great things together, and we learned in that process, and it just came to a place where it’s like, What do you want to explore, and what do I want to explore? And you just do that.”

Blunt on what happens when a movie doesn’t well at the box office:

“You also know that if the movie doesn’t work, they’re coming for you, and it is personal — and it hurts that it’s personal. But there’s a myriad of other reasons why a movie might not work, but they would come swinging for you. Exposure to that is not really for the faint of heart.”

Johnson on his relationship with audiences:

“I used to have this motto — ‘Audience first. Emily [Blunt] said, ‘I love that. It’s worked for you for decades now. But if you want to take care of the audience, show them a mirror of yourself. Isn’t that taking care of the audience too?’”

Johnson on how “The Smashing Machine” has allowed Johnson to be vulnerable:

“What this has allowed me to do — and perhaps I didn’t realize this in the past — is, when I find something, whatever it is, I can give my complete heart and soul,” he says. “And I want and need them to be different from each other. I’m not looking to deliver more of the same. For decades, it was audience first. But the thing that sets my soul first is an idea of audience first as my full self. My complete self.”

Johnson on how he didn’t think about how “The Smashing Machine” would do at the box office:

“Opening week. This is opening week. I had not experienced this until this film — I have not thought about box office once. Not once.”