Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is slimming down again — this time to play a 70-year-old man whose best friend is a chicken, according to variety.com.
Fresh off gaining 30 pounds of muscle to portray MMA fighter Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine, Johnson is now shedding weight to star as the eccentric septuagenarian “Chicken Man” in “Lizard Music,” a film adaptation of Daniel Pinkwater’s cult novel.
Reuniting with The Smashing Machine director Benny Safdie, Johnson said he leapt at the role after a 45-minute pitch. “I am your Chicken Man,” he declared.
“I still have a long way to go,” Johnson admitted during a TIFF talk, noting the part requires a lighter frame — and fewer chicken dinners.
The role continues Johnson’s pivot from action hero to character actor, a shift he says he welcomes after years of being “pigeonholed.”
Despite the detour into indie fare, Johnson isn’t abandoning blockbusters — he’ll shoot J”umanji 3″ with Kevin Hart in November.
•Featured image: Dwayne Johnson/Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/WireImag
