Dwayne Johnson transforms for role in Benny Safdie film Lizard Music

Dwayne Johnson has undergone a significant physical transformation for his upcoming film, “Lizard Music,” directed by Benny Safdie. Leaked set photographs from Brooklyn, New York, show the actor appearing unrecognizable as an eccentric 70-year-old man known as “The Chicken Man.”

The characterization involves extensive prosthetic work by acclaimed makeup artist Kazu Hiro, featuring gray hair, facial wrinkles, and age spots. To prepare for the role, Johnson reportedly lost approximately 30 pounds of muscle. The film, an adaptation of Daniel Pinkwater’s 1976 children’s novel, follows a young boy who discovers a secret society of lizard musicians and forms a friendship with the whimsical Chicken Man.

“Lizard Music” features an ensemble cast including Theo Clark Leber, Rachel McAdams, Colman Domingo, Jeff Goldblum, Alicia Silverstone, and Regina Hall. The production, a live-action and CGI hybrid, is being released by Amazon MGM Studios and is scheduled for a theatrical release on Christmas Day, 2027.