Update: Some new set-photos from Benny Safdie’s Lizard Music have dropped, featuring our first look at Dwayne Johnson as Chicken Man, and he’s looking nearly unrecognizable.
Dwayne Johnson’s New Phase
After Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam failed to make a significant impact at the box office and within the DCEU, the star chose to pursue a more intriguing direction in his career by starring in an A24 drama directed by Benny Safdie. This dramatic shift may not yield substantial box office returns, but it is expected to earn Johnson more recognition in the acting field as he portrays MMA icon Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine. Johnson has stated that he hasn’t completely abandoned his big-budget adventures, but he will be taking more risks with some unconventional films.
It was announced that Johnson would be playing a stuntman with dementia in the upcoming film Free Byrd, and he is also reuniting with Safdie for an ambitious project titled Lizard Music.
Lizard Music
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Johnson and Safdie’s Lizard Music has secured a release date for next year. Amazon MGM Studios has scheduled the live-action/CGI film for theatrical release on December 25, 2027.
The description for Lizard Music reads, “When a boy left to his own devices stumbles upon a secret late-night broadcast of lizards playing otherworldly music, a hidden door to the extraordinary swings open. His search for answers leads him to the eccentric and whimsical Chicken Man and his beloved companion, a seventy-year-old chicken named Claudia—two kindred spirits who have also glimpsed the impossible. United by this shared vision, they set off on an adventure that begins as a hunt for a hidden society but blossoms into something far greater: a voyage through invisible worlds, unexpected harmonies, and the unbreakable bond between lost souls who discover magic not only in what they find but in each other.”
Johnson is joined in the cast by an interesting mix of actors, including Theo Clark Leber, Alicia Silverstone, Tim Heidecker, Arya Parvathi, Regina Hall, Colman Domingo, Jeff Goldblum, Rachel McAdams, Andrew Dice Clay, and David Krumholtz.
Benny Safdie will produce Lizard Music for Down For The Count Productions, with Johnson through Sven Bucks Productions and David Koplan, who produced The Smashing Machine.
Johnson for Christmas
This Christmas, Johnson will also be appearing on the big screen in the latest installment of the Jumanji franchise with Jumanji: Open World. In addition to the core four stars, the new movie features several returning cast members. Alex Wolff, Madison Iseman, Ser’Darius Blaine, Morgan Turner, Bebe Neuwirth, Danny DeVito, Lamorne Morris, Marin Hinkle, Nick Jonas, and Rhys Darby are all set to reprise their roles. New additions include Brittany O’Grady (The White Lotus), Burn Gorman (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice), Dan Hildebrand (Game of Thrones), and Jack Jewkes (Criminal Minds).
The post Dwayne Johnson transforms into a 70-year-old man in set photos from Benny Safdie’s Lizard Music, which has set a Christmas 2027 release appeared first on JoBlo.
