The first set photos from Benny Safdie and Dwayne Johnson's Lizard Music movie have emerged, and The Rock looks completely different after transforming himself into Mark Kerr for their last collaboration, The Smashing Machine.
Set photos (via Page Six) have emerged as Johnson was filming the project in New York City. The “Final Boss” is hidden under prosthetics, making him look almost 20 years older than the 54-year-old is. Johnson also lost 30 pounds to play the Chicken Man in Lizard Music.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson looks completely unrecognizable on set of "Lizard Music” in NYC 👀 📸: BACKGRID, GC Images pic.twitter.com/pWTwGTWivS
— Page Six (@PageSix) October 20, 2026
He is sporting a grey beard and grey curls beneath a bucket hat. Johnson is also wearing a tan jacket and is holding a slice of pizza.
What is Dwayne Johnson's Lizard Music movie about?
Lizard Music is an adaptation of Daniel Pinkwater's children's book of the same name. It follows a young boy who “stumbles upon strange lizard musicians on late-night TV, leading him to befriend a peculiar man with an elderly chicken,” per Variety.
The movie also stars Rachel McAdams, Colman Domingo, David Krumholtz, Jeff Goldblum, Alicia Silverstone, and Regina Hall in addition to The Rock.
Article Continues BelowJohnson is teaming up with The Smashing Machine director Safdie again for the movie, which is set for a Christmas Day release in 2027. Safdie is best known for his collaborations with his brother, Josh. They directed Good Time and Uncut Gems together.
In The Smashing Machine, Johnson transformed himself into former MMA fighter Kerr. It was a critical success, but it bombed at the box office, only grossing $21.1 million worldwide. Sadly, the next project he led, the live-action Moana movie, also bombed, only grossing $323 million.
His next project is Jumanji: Open World, the third installment in the recent Jumanji trilogy and fifth overall. It has been seven years since the last installment, The Next Level, which made over $800 million. Hopefully, this turns Johnson's luck around after some recent box office failures.