Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has undergone another major physical transformation for his next movie role.

New photographs from the set of Lizard Music, taken in New York on Tuesday, October 20, offer an early look at Johnson playing the Chicken Man, a 70-year-old character at the center of the Benny Safdie-directed film. The images arrive while production remains underway, following a stretch of filming at Trilith Studios outside Atlanta.

The film is currently scheduled for a theatrical release on December 25, 2027. While audiences will need to wait to see the finished performance, the initial set photos make clear that Johnson’s appearance for Lizard Music is far removed from the larger-than-life presentation fans most commonly associate with him in WWE and on screen.

Johnson is portraying an elderly man in the project, with the available images showing the extensive work being done to shift his familiar look into that of the Chicken Man. It is another notable change of pace for a performer whose public image has long been built around extraordinary size, athleticism, confidence, and an unmistakable movie-star presence.

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A Major Makeup Team Behind the Chicken Man

The transformation is being supported by a makeup department that includes several widely respected figures in film makeup and prosthetic work. Glen P. Griffin, whose credits include Oppenheimer, is part of the team. Kazu Hiro, known for his work on Darkest Hour, is also involved, along with Robin Pritchard, whose credits include Chernobyl.

That collection of talent underscores the scale of the character work being undertaken for Johnson’s role. Aging a performer convincingly for a feature film requires more than a change in hairstyle or wardrobe. It can involve extensive facial makeup, prosthetics, texture work, and careful attention to the ways a character’s age is communicated through their physical presence.

For Johnson, the task is particularly striking because he has spent decades being recognized instantly by audiences around the world. From his years as one of WWE’s biggest attractions to his status as a leading Hollywood star, Johnson’s appearance has always been central to the roles he has played. The early look from Lizard Music suggests that the production is intentionally inviting viewers to see him in an entirely different way.

The character’s name alone, the Chicken Man, signals that this is not simply another conventional Johnson vehicle. The first images place the focus on the role rather than the celebrity playing it, emphasizing the age and unusual visual identity of the character.

Johnson Previously Revealed a 50-Pound Weight Loss

The physical change visible in the photographs follows comments Johnson made in September, when he revealed that he had lost 50 pounds for Lizard Music. That weight loss is an important element of the contrast between the actor’s established on-screen persona and the figure he is portraying in Safdie’s film.

Johnson’s athletic build has been a defining part of his career since well before he became a full-time Hollywood headliner. As The Rock, he developed into one of professional wrestling’s most recognizable stars by combining elite charisma with a powerful physical style. His WWE identity has remained closely connected to that imposing presence, whether he has appeared as a full-time performer, a special attraction, or one of the company’s most prominent crossover figures.

Outside the ring, that same image helped shape a long run of high-profile acting work. However, Lizard Music appears positioned as a project where Johnson’s transformation is not merely a cosmetic addition to a familiar kind of role. His reported weight loss and the age makeup being used for the Chicken Man indicate a performance built around a significantly altered physical profile.

There is still limited public information about the film beyond its production, director, release date, and Johnson’s role. Even so, the visual shift has already become one of the most talked-about aspects of the project. It demonstrates the level of commitment involved in preparing to play a character so different in age and appearance from Johnson himself.

Production Moves From Georgia to New York

Lizard Music has been filming at Trilith Studios outside Atlanta for several weeks. The emergence of the October 20 photographs indicates that the shoot has seemingly moved to New York, where Johnson was seen in character.

Location changes are a routine part of major film productions, but the New York set images have provided the first substantial public glimpse of Johnson’s work as the Chicken Man. Until now, the transformation had largely been discussed in terms of the actor’s reported preparation, including his 50-pound weight loss.

The presence of a high-profile star such as Johnson on a New York shoot naturally draws attention, especially when the performer is made up in a way that is not immediately recognizable. For wrestling fans, the contrast is especially pronounced. The Rock has spent much of his public career in presentations designed around immediate crowd recognition, explosive entrances, and a visual confidence that needs no introduction. The elderly Chicken Man represents a very different creative challenge.

Rather than relying on the audience’s existing connection to Johnson, the role appears to ask viewers to engage with a new character identity. That does not mean the star power disappears. Instead, the early reaction to the set photographs shows that Johnson’s fame is making the degree of his transformation all the more noticeable.

Benny Safdie Project Marks Another Different Direction

Benny Safdie is directing Lizard Music, placing Johnson in a project that stands apart from the action-heavy and broad studio entertainment often associated with his screen career. The collaboration has already generated interest because of Johnson’s willingness to reshape his body and presentation for the part.

For performers who move from wrestling into film, transformation can be an important way to expand audience expectations. Johnson’s success has often come from embracing the qualities that made him a standout in WWE: magnetism, intensity, humor, and physical credibility. Yet the Chicken Man role looks designed to test how far he can move away from those familiar signals.

At 70 years old, the character requires Johnson to portray a substantially different stage of life. The makeup team’s involvement, combined with the actor’s reported weight loss, suggests that the production is treating that difference with considerable detail. The goal is not just to make Johnson look older in still photographs, but to create a believable character for a theatrical feature.

How that work translates into the finished film remains to be seen. The currently announced December 25, 2027 release date leaves more than a year for production and post-production to continue. No broader plot details are established in the available information, so the early attention remains centered on Johnson’s visual change and the scale of the filmmaking team assembled around it.

A Fresh Image for One of WWE’s Biggest Crossover Stars

Johnson remains one of the most influential crossover names to emerge from WWE. His ability to remain connected to wrestling while building a global entertainment career has made every major project of his a point of interest for fans. When he enters the public eye in a form that looks this unfamiliar, it naturally sparks even more conversation.

The first look at the Chicken Man is notable precisely because it does not resemble the standard image of The Rock. The transformation leans into age, character detail, and an altered frame rather than the larger-than-life spectacle that has defined so much of Johnson’s career.

For now, the set photos offer only a snapshot of what is still a work in progress. They do, however, establish that Lizard Music will present Johnson in one of the most visually distinct roles of his career. With Safdie directing, an accomplished makeup department involved, and Johnson having made significant physical changes for the part, the film has already given audiences a compelling reason to watch its development ahead of its 2027 theatrical release.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.