Dwayne Johnson has undergone a striking transformation for his upcoming film Lizard Music, swapping his muscular action-star look for that of a 70-year-old man known as the Chicken Man. Set photos from Brooklyn show the actor sporting an aged appearance as he films the project with director Benny Safdie.
According to Variety, Johnson was spotted on set on Tuesday wearing a tan bucket hat and coat while holding a slice of pizza. He walked alongside his young co-star Theo Clark Leber, who carried an oversized plush lizard. Kazu Hiro, the make-up artist behind Johnson’s transformation, also recently aged Tom Cruise for the upcoming film Digger, in which Cruise plays an elderly oil baron.
The project marks another collaboration between Johnson and Safdie, following their 2025 film The Smashing Machine. In that film, Johnson transformed into mixed martial arts fighter Mark Kerr. For Lizard Music, he takes on a very different physical appearance.
Based on Daniel Pinkwater’s children’s book of the same name, Lizard Music follows a young boy who discovers strange lizard musicians on late-night television. His discovery leads him to befriend an eccentric man who keeps an elderly chicken.
The film also stars Rachel McAdams, Colman Domingo, David Krumholtz, Jeff Goldblum, Alicia Silverstone and Regina Hall. Amazon MGM Studios will release Lizard Music on Christmas Day 2027.
Johnson discussed the project during a career retrospective at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. He said Safdie needed only about 45 minutes to convince him to take the role.
The actor also revealed that he lost 30 pounds of muscle to play the Chicken Man, a substantial physical change for a star widely associated with his imposing build.
“I’m so excited to get a chance to hopefully transform again like I was able to do in ‘Smashing Machine,’” Johnson said. He added that the process meant “eating less chicken”.
