Dwayne Johnson and filmmaker Benny Safdie’s next collaboration, the film adaptation of Daniel Pinkwater’s novel Lizard Music, has officially landed at Amazon MGM Studios’ United Artists (UA) following a competitive acquisition, per variety.com.
Safdie is set to direct the feature from a script he also wrote, with Johnson taking on the leading role in a significant departure from his typical action fare. Johnson will star as an eccentric septuagenarian known as “Chicken Man,” whose closest companion is a 111-year-old chicken named Claudia.
The whimsical story centers on a young boy who opens a “hidden door to the extraordinary” after stumbling upon a secret, late-night broadcast of lizards playing “otherworldly music.” His search for answers leads him to the eccentric Chicken Man and his beloved companion. United by a shared vision, the two set off on an adventure that begins as a hunt for a hidden society but blossoms into a voyage through invisible worlds and an exploration of the “unbreakable bond between lost souls.”
Amazon MGM acquired the highly sought-after project, marking a continued relationship with the star. Courtenay Valenti, head of film for Amazon MGM, expressed the studio’s enthusiasm, stating, “Everyone at Amazon MGM and UA is deeply inspired by their previous collaboration on the critically acclaimed ‘The Smashing Machine.’ We are so excited to now collaborate with them on this imaginative, entertaining and cinematic story; ‘Lizard Music’ is a tale that feels both timeless and unique.”
Safdie, who read Pinkwater’s novel to his two sons, said he was “riveted by its imagination and wonder.” He added, “To go on this adventure with Dwayne and to be able to watch him transform and become the Chicken Man is just beyond… I can’t wait!”
The project comes amid Johnson’s physical transformation following his role as MMA fighter Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine, for which he had packed on 30 lbs. The actor has been visibly shedding weight for his new part, telling press that his new look is preparation for the character. “Think Clint Eastwood at 75,” Johnson explained of the desired aesthetic. “Sinewy muscles, he’s lean.”
Scott Stuber, head of UA, will produce the film alongside UA’s Nick Nesbitt, Safdie (for his Out for the Count Productions), Johnson (for his Seven Bucks Productions), and Magnetic Fields Entertainment’s David Koplan.
