Dwayne Johnson said at the Toronto International Film Festival that his recent weight loss is a deliberate shift for his next role, confirming he will reteam with Benny Safdie on an adaptation of Daniel Pinkwater’s “Lizard Music.” Johnson told the audience he is “in the process of slimming down” to play a whimsical 70-something known as the Chicken Man, adding with a grin that he’s eating “less chicken” and still has “a long way to go.”
The project follows Johnson and Safdie’s Venice-launched collaboration “The Smashing Machine,” for which Safdie won the festival’s Silver Lion for best director. That film opens October 3, giving the pair a high-profile runway as they set up their next venture. Johnson’s lighter frame at Venice drew online speculation, which he addressed by linking the change directly to the new character.
“Lizard Music,” first published in 1976, centers on a boy who discovers a mysterious late-night TV broadcast of lizards performing music and then meets the Chicken Man and his elderly chicken companion, Claudia. Johnson’s casting signals a pivot toward character work that departs from his typical action-hero silhouette, a transformation he framed as part of an ongoing effort to stretch on screen.
Industry reports describe the film as a package being prepared for buyers, with Safdie adapting and directing. Johnson’s reveal came during a festival conversation where he also reflected on the value of audience connection learned from wrestling and on the creative momentum from “The Smashing Machine.” The actor said the new role will require further slimming over the coming months, underscoring that the physical change is intentional and role-driven.
