Dwayne Johnson unrecognizable as Chicken Man in Lizard Music
Published on · Updated on
Set photos show Dwayne Johnson transformed into a 70-year-old man to play the Chicken Man in Benny Safdie's Lizard Music — out in theaters December 25, 2027.
The photos came straight from the New York City set — and in them, Dwayne Johnson looks almost unrecognizable: the actor has turned into a 70-year-old man with gray hair and a floppy hat to play the eccentric Chicken Man in Lizard Music, the new film from director Benny Safdie. The images, captured by TMZ during filming alongside child actor Theo Clark Leber, took over social media — and the project got an extra boost on Tuesday: the film has locked its theatrical release window for December 25, 2027, with Amazon MGM Studios handling distribution, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
"Imagine Willy Wonka but from the mind of Benny Safdie. 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."
Quote from Dwayne Johnson to Deadline, compiled by CBR.
The photos that took over social media
TMZ's report shows Johnson in an eclectic outfit in the heart of Manhattan: a floppy bucket hat, beige coat, zany tie and baggy pants — the complete profile of the novel's eccentric septuagenarian, from the gray hair down to the gestures. Beside him in the captured scenes was young Theo Clark Leber, the story's child protagonist. The contrast with the usual "The Rock" physique sent comparisons flooding social media: some fans commented on the change in his physical routine after recent films, and others bet on yet another image shift in the actor's career. The image crops and the most talked-about reactions were compiled by CBR, which also detailed the release date.
The role: The Chicken Man and the film's story
Lizard Music adapts Daniel Pinkwater's classic children's novel, published in 1976. In the plot, a boy discovers a secret society of lizards that communicate through music — and builds an unlikely friendship with the eccentric Chicken Man, Johnson's role. The project is described as a deliriously toned fantasy adventure, mixing live-action scenes with computer graphics — rare territory among today's Hollywood blockbusters. The hybrid format, by the way, is the same path used in productions like the Sonic films — and in recent years it has become the studios' preferred approach for fantasy with digital creatures.
The title also came with a date: Amazon MGM has set December 25, 2027 for the theatrical release, a clear bet on Christmas 2027, when the film will square off against the year-end's biggest releases. Adapting a property outside the franchise circuit is the kind of gamble studios try from time to time — like the cinematic version of a PS3 classic taken on by Sonic's producer, detailed here on Revista Pixel, or CD Projekt RED's decision not to adapt the game in the Cyberpunk 2077 movie.
The transformation: five hours of makeup a day
The machine behind the Chicken Man look is heavyweight: Kazu Hiro, the Oscar-winning prosthetics artist. Hiro is the name behind Gary Oldman's transformation into Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour and Charlize Theron's into anchor Megyn Kelly in Bombshell — and he has already aged Tom Cruise in Warner Bros.' Digger, which is now in theaters — a résumé that has made him Hollywood's most in-demand name when it comes to turning a star into someone else, to the point of rendering them completely unrecognizable. According to what Johnson told Deadline, Hiro was Oscar-nominated for his work on The Smashing Machine and remains in charge of the prosthetics on Lizard Music as well.
The actor's own body went through changes too: Johnson significantly trimmed the muscle mass he had built up to play MMA pioneer Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine (2025) — and it showed in the set photos. Physical transformations of stars have become common practice in the industry, ranging from handcrafted prosthetics and reshaped bodies to digital de-aging, increasingly frequent in big productions.
The cast: familiar faces on screen and in the voice booth
The film has assembled a heavyweight cast beyond Johnson. The live-action cast includes Regina Hall (Scary Movie), Alicia Silverstone (Batman & Robin), Tim Heidecker (The Comedy), Andrew Dice Clay (A Star Is Born) and Arya Parvathi.
- Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park) — voice
- Rachel McAdams (The Notebook) — voice
- Colman Domingo (Fear the Walking Dead) — voice
- David Krumholtz (Supergirl) — voice
In Hollywood's hybrid and animated films, a charismatic voice cast is worth nearly as much as the poster — and Lizard Music's leans exactly into that effect, mixing comedy veterans with heavyweight drama faces.
Safdie reunion: the duo's second round
The Smashing Machine (2025, A24) was the pair's first meeting: the film told the real story of MMA pioneer Mark Kerr, with Johnson in the title role and Emily Blunt as his then-wife, Dawn Staples. The experience bonded director and actor — and trading the brutal drama of the ring for a children's fantasy is proof the two decided to keep working together.
For Safdie, Lizard Music reinforces the solo career he began after splitting the directorial duo with his brother Josh — a path that already yielded acclaimed projects on the indie circuit —, now at blockbuster scale, with the Amazon MGM machine behind him and a Christmas date reserved. Late 2027, then, promises a curious mix: a Pinkwater novel, musical lizards and a seventy-year-old Rock sharing the same screens.
In the meantime, the release calendar stays packed: Netflix's The Child already has a release date and cast — and Hollywood is preparing even more unexpected adaptations for the years ahead.
Suggested and related articles
Justin Long vampire thriller climbs Hulu's Halloween top 10
A24 vampire film with Hunter Schafer already filmed
Cyberpunk 2077 Movie Won't Adapt the Game, CDPR Says
Project Power: the pill that grants five minutes of power
Paramount Completes Warner Acquisition and Reshapes Hollywood
