Dwayne Johnson recently spoke about his weight loss for a new role. At the Toronto International Film Festival, he confirmed he is slimming down after The Smashing Machine. He also shared details about reuniting with Benny Safdie for Lizard Music.
Dwayne Johnson lost weight for movie role, will slim down even more
Dwayne Johnson confirmed he is actively losing weight for an upcoming role. On September 8, while speaking at the Toronto International Film Festival’s “In Conversation With…” series, he told TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey, “This is me slimmed down. In the process of slimming down. I still have a long way to go.” (via PEOPLE)
The transformation comes after he bulked up to play former MMA champion Mark Kerr in Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine, which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival on September 1. Johnson revealed that for his next project, Lizard Music, adapted from Daniel Pinkwater’s novel, he will again collaborate with Safdie.
Johnson explained his role will be “a very whimsical and eccentric 70-something-year-old man called the Chicken Man. And his best friend is a 70-something-year-old chicken.” He joked about his preparation, saying he is eating “less chicken.”
At TIFF, Johnson discussed his career path from wrestling as The Rock to films such as Fast & Furious, Moana, and Jumanji. He also confirmed that a third Jumanji installment with Kevin Hart will soon begin shooting. Emily Blunt, his co-star in The Smashing Machine, made a surprise appearance during the conversation alongside Safdie.
The Smashing Machine earned strong reviews in Venice, where Safdie won the directing award. The film co-stars Blunt and is based on the early 2000s documentary about Kerr, who struggled with addiction while competing as a UFC champion. Johnson described spending up to four hours daily in the makeup chair to apply multiple prosthetics for the role.
Reflecting on his career shift, Johnson said on September 1, “I looked around a few years ago and I started to think … am I living my dream or am I living other people’s dreams?” He added, “I want to live my dreams now and do what I want and tap into the stuff that I want to tap into.”
The movie is scheduled to come out in U.S. theaters in October 2025.
Originally reported by Anubhav Chaudhry on ComingSoon.
