Dwayne Johnson looks unrecognisable for unusual role in upcoming fantasy film

The MUBI project follows a boy who discovers mysterious lizard musicians on late night television

Dwayne Johnson has surprised fans with a dramatic new look on the set of Lizard Music, appearing almost unrecognisable as an elderly man in the upcoming fantasy adventure directed by Benny Safdie.

Photographs taken during filming in Brooklyn, New York, on October 20 show the actor wearing a grey wig, facial hair, ageing prosthetics, a beige overcoat and a matching bucket hat. The transformation marks another major change in appearance for Johnson, who recently worked with Safdie on the 2025 sports drama The Smashing Machine.

In Lizard Music, Johnson plays Chicken Man, an eccentric character in his seventies. The film adapts Daniel Pinkwater’s children’s book of the same name and follows a young boy, played by Theo Clark Leber, who discovers a mysterious late night television broadcast featuring musical lizards.

His search for answers leads him to Chicken Man and the older man’s beloved chicken, Claudia. Their unlikely friendship takes them into a strange world filled with unexpected discoveries.

The film’s cast also includes Rachel McAdams, Colman Domingo, Jeff Goldblum, Alicia Silverstone, Regina Hall and David Krumholtz.

According to Variety, the team responsible for Johnson’s ageing appearance includes acclaimed makeup artist Kazu Hiro, known for his transformative work in films such as Darkest Hour and Oppenheimer.

Johnson has also discussed changing his physique for the role. During a career retrospective at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, he revealed that he had shed around 30 pounds of muscle to help portray Chicken Man.

The actor previously underwent a substantial physical transformation to play mixed martial arts fighter Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine, making his latest role another departure from his familiar action hero image.

Amazon MGM Studios has scheduled Lizard Music for a US theatrical release on December 25, 2027. The film reunites Johnson and Safdie for a project that combines fantasy, comedy and an unusual coming of age adventure.