Dwayne Johnson isn’t done with his recent body transformation.
The actor, 53, turned heads at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month, showing off his recent weight loss at the premiere of his latest movie, The Smashing Machine.
However, speaking at the Toronto International Film Festival on Monday, September 8, Johnson revealed that he is planning to slim down even further for his next role in Lizard Music, based on the novel of the same name by Daniel Pinkwater.
During an “In Conversation With…” event Monday at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, Johnson described his role as “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,” per People.
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“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 added.
For the role of Chicken Man, the semi-retired professional wrestler said he is planning to eat “less chicken.”
“This is me slimmed down. In the process of slimming down. I still have a long ways to go,” he teased his ongoing weight loss.
Johnson has earned critical acclaim for his role as former UFC fighter Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine, for which he lost a considerable amount of weight and transformed his appearance with the help of prosthetics.
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The actor was overcome with emotion as he received a 15-minute standing ovation following the film’s September 1 premiere at Venice Film Festival.
“This was the most emotion we’ve since on the Lido since Brendan Fraser launched his Oscar campaign here four years ago for ‘The Whale,’” wrote Variety editor Ramin Setoodeh via X, sharing video of Johnson’s reaction.
Johnson stars in The Smashing Machine alongside Emily Blunt, who plays Kerr’s ex-wife, Dawn Staples. The film is directed by Benny Safdie, with whom Johnson will reunite for Lizard Music.
The Smashing Machine follows Kerr’s trials and tribulations both inside and outside the octagon, including his struggle with addiction.
“Mark was the greatest fighter in the world at one point, but this film is not even really about fighting — it’s a love story,” Johnson said during a press conference at the Venice Film Festival. “It’s a love story about Mark and Dawn in this relationship, and it’s a love story about Mark and the love that he had for the thing that he did — his struggle with trying to deliver [in the ring], his challenges and his overcoming. As you know, Mark OD’d twice, and he’s lucky to be alive — and that’s part of why this story is so special.”
