Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson recently turned heads at the Venice Film Festival with a noticeably slimmed-down physique, and now he has revealed the reason for his transformation. Speaking at the Toronto Film Festival on Monday, Johnson confirmed that his new look is for his next film role, in which he will play a “whimsical, eccentric 70-something year-old” character named Chicken Man in a new movie called “Lizard Music.”
The new film will see him re-team with Benny Safdie, the director of his other upcoming film, “The Smashing Machine,” which has been earning rave reviews on the festival circuit. Johnson explained that after Safdie pitched him the role for 45 minutes, he immediately told the director, “I am your Chicken Man.”
According to a report from Variety, “Lizard Music” is an adaptation of a Daniel Pinkwater novel and “tells the story of a septuagenarian whose best friend is a 70-year-old chicken.” This premise is a far cry from the blockbuster action films that Johnson is known for, further highlighting Rock wanting to take on more diverse roles at this stage of his career.
To prepare for the role, Johnson had to undergo a significant physical change. He revealed that he has lost “much of the 30 pounds of muscle” that he had gained to portray MMA fighter Mark Kerr in “The Smashing Machine.” He added, “I still have a long ways to go. I’m so excited to get a chance to hopefully transform again like I was able to do in Smashing Machine. [It means] eating less chicken.”
While it is not yet known when “Lizard Music” will begin filming, Johnson’s schedule is a busy one. He is set to begin shooting “Jumanji 3” with his co-star Kevin Hart in November, and “The Smashing Machine” is scheduled for its theatrical release on Friday, October 3.
