Dwayne Johnson has been photographed in full elderly makeup on the Brooklyn set of his next film.
The actor, 54, spent Tuesday filming outdoor scenes for “Lizard Music” on Coney Island alongside child actor Theo Clark Leber, according to set photos that surfaced this week. Johnson wore a tan trench coat, matching floppy hat, sneakers, a blue shirt and tie, with gray facial hair and apparent prosthetics that rendered him nearly unrecognizable — only his square jawline and towering height betrayed his identity.
Both Johnson and Leber carried slices of cheese pizza during the shoot, while the young actor also held a large green lizard plushy.
The film’s official synopsis describes the story as centering on “a young boy’s friendship with a peculiar man with an elderly chicken,” adding that “their quest for answers reveals hidden worlds and an unlikely but magical friendship.” Benny Safdie directs the project, which is slated for release next year.
The cast also includes Rachel McAdams, Colman Domingo, Alicia Silverstone, Tim Heidecker, Regina Hall and Jeff Goldblum.
Johnson’s physical overhaul for “Lizard Music” follows an even more drastic transformation he undertook for Safdie’s previous film, “The Smashing Machine.” In that biopic about MMA fighter Mark Kerr, Johnson packed on more than 30 pounds and wore 22 prosthetics.
“For me, the transformation was 22 prosthetics, over 30 pounds that I had to put on, which is a lot of weight,” he said during a “Good Morning America” interview last October.
He said at the time that the effort was “the hardest thing [he’d] ever done.”
“There was a physical transformation, prosthetics, vocal transformation — he has a very specific way of talking,” he told the outlet.
Johnson recalled Safdie’s blunt assessment of what the role required. “DJ, I don’t know if anyone’s told you this… but you need to gain weight,” the director said, according to Johnson.
The actor responded by telling him, “Give me 24 hours.”
“I came back, and we looked at Mark again — and realized, his body is a unicorn,” Johnson said of Kerr.
“Benny said he wanted me to look a bit puffy and I agreed,” Johnson said, noting that it took 30 pounds to achieve the effect.
Johnson clarified that it’s not “just gaining weight” that matters for such roles.
“It’s putting on a quality of muscle that has fast-twitch capacity,” the actor explained.
“He’s a wrestler. It’s not about bodybuilding,” he said. “I’ve never done so much trap and neck work in my life. Old-school wrestlers with no necks? That’s what I had to do. And I held that weight for three and a half months.”
The physical whiplash continued immediately after. Two weeks later, Johnson noted he “had to roll into” the live-action “Moana,” reprising his role as demigod Maui from the 2016 animated film and its 2024 sequel.
“So it was Mark Kerr and Maui,” he mused. “Big dudes.”
Johnson later revealed that “Lizard Music” was the reason he began slimming down, showing off a notably leaner frame that surprised fans.
“I’m so excited because I get a chance to hopefully transform again like I was able to do in ‘Smashing Machine.’ Can’t wait,” he said last year.
“This is me slimmed down,” he continued. “In the process of slimming down. I still have a long ways to go.”
The “Moana” star has built his career on physical reinvention, from his wrestling persona to action hero bulk to now, at 54, playing a septuagenarian with a chicken companion.
“Lizard Music” is scheduled for release next year.