Is Dwayne Johnson headed to the Oscars?

Judging by the rapturous reaction to his performance as wrestler Mark Kerr in “The Smashing Machine” at the Venice Film Festival on Monday night, that seems to be the consensus out of Italy.

The 53-year-old actor (who had his own former life as the WWE wrestler known as the Rock) sobbed uncontrollably as the audience on the Lido erupted into 15-minute standing ovation, one of the longest at this year’s festival so far.

Johnson has been the star of such commercial fare as “The Mummy,” “Black Adam” and “Baywatch.” But he goes much deeper in his next project, which will be released by A24 in November, as a ’90s fighter with demons.

Johnson stars opposite Emily Blunt in the film, who plays Kerr’s girlfriend Dawn Staples. During the ovation, Benny Safdie — the film’s director — hugged both his stars and joined Johnson in shedding tears of joy as the clapping continued. Adding to the waterworks, Kerr also wept as the credits rolled.

As the hooting and cheering stretched on, “The Smashing Machine” proved to be the most emotional premiere on the Lido since Brendan Fraser collapsed into tears four years ago, launching his Oscar campaign for “The Whale.”

Before the screening started, one fan shouted Johnson’s signature WWE line, “Can you smell what the Rock is cooking?!” — prompting laughter from the man of the hour.

Johnson is nearly unrecognizable in the film, undergoing pounds of prosthetics to portray the beefy two-time UFC Heavyweight champ. The actor previously told Variety that he was drawn to “The Smashing Machine” because Safdie is someone who “continues to push the envelope when it comes to stories that are raw and real; characters that are authentic and at times uncomfortable and arresting.”

“I’m at a point in my career where I want to push myself in ways that I’ve not pushed myself in the past,” said Johnson, best known for franchise fare like “Jumanji,” the “Fast and Furious” franchise and superhero adventure “Black Adam.” “I want to make films that matter, that explore a humanity and explore struggle [and] pain.”

“The Smashing Machine” marks the solo feature directorial debut of Benny Safdie, who worked with his older brother, Josh, on indie favorites like “Good Time” and “Uncut Gems.” (Josh will also make his solo feature debut this year with A24’s “Marty Supreme,” a sports drama starring Timothee Chalamet.) “The Smashing Machine” reunites Benny Safdie and Blunt, who shared a memorable scene in Christopher Nolan’s historical epic “Oppenheimer,” as well as Johnson and Blunt, who co-starred in Disney’s action-adventure “Jungle Cruise.”