Dwayne Johnson made his name as a professional wrestler in the 1990s and 2000s, performing for audiences around the world as The Rock – an over-the-top persona with several catchphrases and iconic moments.
Johnson was able to make the leap from successful wrestler to successful actor with films like The Scorpion King and Walking Tall, but his appearances in the Fast & Furious franchise have helped make him a worldwide superstar.
Johnson is now at the forefront of many successful film franchises, including Jumanji and Disney’s Moana.
Last year, Johnson stunned audiences by undergoing a dramatic transformation in order to play MMA legend Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine. The film was well-received by critics, and Johnson is altering his appearance again in another collaboration with the same director.
Dwayne Johnson’s Dramatic Transformation
New photos from the set of “Lizard Music” show Johnson with a gray mustache and beard, eating pizza while wearing a long coat and hat. Johnson is set to play The Chicken Man, an eccentric character in the upcoming Benny Safdie film.
Safdie’s new film will follow a young boy – played by Theo Clark Leber – who goes on an adventure to find a group of lizard musicians. Leber can be seen with a massive lizard plush in the set photos, alongside the WWE Hall of Famer.
It’s the second time Safdie and Johnson have worked together, and the actor joined The Smashing Machine due to the director’s vision.
Johnson on Working With Benny Safdie
“Benny wants to create, and 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,” Johnson said in an interview with Variety.
“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. I’m at a point in my career where I want to make films that matter, that explore a humanity and explore struggle [and] pain.”
Johnson said that he enjoyed making big-budget blockbusters and will continue to do so, but that working with filmmakers like Safdie gives him a chance to do “more.”
“And I don’t mean I want more box office. I mean I want more humanity. And that is why Benny Safdie is the perfect, collaborative, hungry partner for me.”
Johnson and Leber will be joined by Tim Heidecker, Alicia Silverstone, Regina Hall and Andrew Dice Clay. Colman Domingo, Jeff Goldblum, Rachel McAdams and David Krumholtz will also voice characters in the film.
Lizard Music, based on the children’s book of the same name, is set to release in theaters on Christmas Day 2027.
