Dwayne Johnson Transforms for Lizard Music Role

Dwayne Johnson is taking on another unconventional film role in Lizard Music, an adaptation of Daniel Pinkwater's children's book directed by Benny Safdie. New set photographs from Brooklyn on Tuesday show the actor portraying the elderly Chicken Man alongside young co-star Theo Clark Leber, as the production combines live-action performances with computer-generated imagery.

The production's most striking feature is Johnson's transformation into a 70-year-old character, achieved with prosthetic makeup by Kazu Hiro. The actor was photographed wearing a tan bucket hat and coat while walking beside Leber, who carried an oversized lizard plush, while Johnson held a slice of pizza.

Hiro previously transformed Tom Cruise into an elderly oil baron for Digger. His work on Lizard Music marks another collaboration involving extensive character makeup for a major Hollywood production.

Johnson discussed his willingness to change his physique for demanding roles while speaking at the Toronto Film Festival in 2025. His previous collaboration with Safdie, The Smashing Machine, featured Johnson as UFC legend Mark Kerr and required him to shed 30 pounds of muscle.

Reflecting on the possibility of another transformation, Johnson said he was eager to take on a similarly challenging role.

"I'm so excited to get a chance to hopefully transform again like I was able to do in Smashing Machine," Johnson said.

He then joked about the dietary adjustments associated with the physical transformation.

"[It means] eating less chicken."

Lizard Music centers on a young boy who discovers unusual lizard musicians on late-night television and befriends an eccentric man who keeps an elderly chicken. The story draws on Pinkwater's children's book and brings its unusual characters to the screen through a combination of live-action footage and CGI.

The film's ensemble cast includes Rachel McAdams, Colman Domingo, Jeff Goldblum, Alicia Silverstone, Regina Hall, David Krumholtz and Tim Heidecker, alongside Johnson and Leber.

Johnson's latest project continues his working relationship with Safdie following The Smashing Machine, released in 2025. According to comments Johnson made during the Toronto Film Festival discussion, the director needed little time to persuade him to join the new adaptation.

Johnson described their conversation about the project as lasting "about 45 minutes" during the festival discussion, as reported by Variety.

Amazon MGM Studios has scheduled Lizard Music for a theatrical release on December 25, 2027. Scott Stuber and Nick Nesbitt are producing for United Artists, while Safdie produces through Out for the Count Productions, Johnson through Seven Bucks Productions, and David Koplan through Magnetic Fields Entertainment.