(This story first appeared on USA TODAY.)
The Rock is cooking up something new.
Dwayne Johnson was spotted in character as a man in his 70s in new photos from the set of his upcoming movie "Lizard Music." The "Jumanji" star, 54, looked unrecognizable in the pictures, which were captured during filming in Brooklyn, New York, on Tuesday, Oct. 20.
Based on the children's novel by Daniel Pinkwater, "Lizard Music" stars Johnson as a "very whimsical and eccentric 70-something-year-old man called the Chicken Man," whose "best friend is a 70-something-year-old chicken," Johnson previously explained at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The project reunites Johnson with Benny Safdie, his director on the sports drama "The Smashing Machine." Regina Hall
and Alicia Silverstone also star.
"Benny pitched me this after we had wrapped 'The Smashing Machine,' and after about 45 minutes, his pitch ended, and I said, 'I am your Chicken Man,'" Johnson said at TIFF, adding that it will give him a chance to "transform again." He also noted he was in the process of losing weight for the role.
"That's why I've been slimming down: To play the Chicken Man," he said. "[I'm] eating less chicken."
Kazu Hiro, the makeup artist who worked on "The Smashing Machine," is working with Johnson again on his "Lizard Music" transformation.
In August, Johnson told Deadline he is undergoing "five hours of makeup every day" for the role, and he compared the film to "Willy Wonka, but from the mind of Benny Safdie."
"We're in our second week, and it has already been an unbelievable experience," he added. "It's that thing I was telling the kids, 'Run towards that thing.' This is the thing that I ran towards and chased the challenge, and this was a challenge for me."
Johnson previously transformed into UFC fighter Mark Kerr for "The Smashing Machine," which involved gaining weight and wearing prosthetics. The project marked a rare dramatic performance for Johnson, who is generally best known for his action blockbusters and family-friendly entertainment.
"I had waited for this opportunity for such a long time, to do something that challenged myself," Johnson said of "The Smashing Machine" last year. "I pushed for more and I wanted more."
Johnson received acclaim for his "Smashing Machine" performance, though he was ultimately not nominated for an Oscar, as some experts predicted.
"It would have been incredible to get nominated for an Oscar. … I realized very quickly that it’s a rare thing to reach this pinnacle where you're even having these conversations," Johnson told Esquire. "And it's exciting! It would have been amazing. I wish it happened. But it didn't. But in no uncertain terms did I ever think, Oh, that doesn't matter. I always thought it mattered. And it has lit a fire in my spine, which is: Let's go back to work."
Johnson was most recently seen reprising his role of Maui in Disney's live-action "Moana," and he's returning to the "Jumanji" franchise this December with the new entry, "Jumanji: Open World."
"Lizard Music" will be released on Christmas Day 2027.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The Rock is unrecognizable transforming into an old man for new film
