Dwayne Johnson has come a very long way from his professional wrestling days as “The Rock,” proving to Hollywood that he is more than just a tough action hero. While he was initially cast in traditional, muscle-bound roles like The Scorpion King, Johnson cemented his blockbuster status in the Fast & Furious saga, while also diversifying and embracing more comedic, family-friendly projects like The Game Plan, and much later, the Jumanji franchise. He recently underwent a dramatic transformation to play real-life fighter Mark Kerr in the gritty A24 drama The Smashing Machine, before donning a wig to bring demigod Maui to life in Disney’s live-action remake of Moana. However, his next outing may require another double take, as he is completely changing up his look to portray an eccentric, 70-something adventurer called The Chicken Man.
Johnson officially joined the curious movie, titled Lizard Music, in September 2025, enthusiastically telling director Benny Safdie, “I’m your Chicken Man,” following a 45-minute pitch. The story is adapted from Daniel Pinkwater’s surreal 1976 children’s novel of the same name about a young boy who discovers a late-night broadcast by intelligent lizard musicians, opening a portal to a hidden world where he befriends an eccentric, elderly character (who Johnson will be playing) and his companion – a 111-year-old chicken named Claudia.
Now in production, Johnson has dropped a few more tidbits about his role in the film. Speaking to Deadline at D23, he revealed that he has to sit in the makeup chair for five hours every day to transform into the septuagenarian Chicken Man, utilizing prosthetics crafted by legendary Hollywood artist Kazu Hiro, known for his Oscar-winning work on Darkest Hour and Bombshell. The actor also dropped roughly 60 pounds to adopt a leaner physique after wrapping up his previous, bulkier role as Mark Kerr. He told the outlet of the process:
“I play a septuagenarian man. Now, I didn’t know what the hell that meant. So, I had to Google it, it means you’re in your 70s. So, we transform, and it’s five hours of makeup every day. We’re with Kazu Hiro, who is a legend in Hollywood. He was also nominated for Smashing Machine, for our prosthetics, and he is helping me transform.
So far, we’re in our second week, and it has already been an unbelievable experience. It’s that thing I was telling the kids, ‘Run towards that thing.’ This is that thing that I ran towards and chased the challenge, and this was a challenge for me. I love Benny, he’s one of my best friends and most embraced collaborators, so I can’t wait for you to see it.”
Developed as a live-action/CGI hybrid for Amazon MGM Studios, Lizard Music serves as a whimsical, family-focused reunion for Johnson and Safdie following their collaboration on The Smashing Machine. Safdie wrote the screenplay with the intent of creating something magical his own children would watch. It sounds like it will be a far cry from his unvarnished sports drama, as Johnson described the tone of the adventure as “Willy Wonka, but from the mind of Benny Safdie,” promising a blend of pure imagination and childhood wonder.
Not only a creative pivot for Safdie, Lizard Music firmly positions Johnson in the fantasy genre. He has dabbled in magical realms before with films like Jumanji and Red One, but this project looks set to be his most immersive dive into pure, avant-garde fantasy to date. By stepping into a world where musical reptiles (and a 111-year-old chicken) drive the plot, Johnson is not just dipping his toes into the surreal and shedding his signature looks; he is anchoring a high-concept, whimsical universe that leans entirely into imaginative world-building and eccentricities – rather than the stunts and explosions of his best known action epics.
Johnson is joined in Lizard Music by a vibrant ensemble cast led by young newcomer Theo Clark Leber, alongside Regina Hall, Alicia Silverstone, Tim Heidecker, and Arya Parvathi. Principal photography commenced in Atlanta on Aug. 3, 2026, with filming expected to wrap by mid-October. An official release date for the film is pending, but given the production’s heavy CGI demands, the movie is expected to debut in late 2027, as fans of the fantasy genre eagerly anticipate the first glimpses of this imaginative new story.
