After Smashing Machine, Benny Safdie and Dwayne Johnson reunite for a fantastical adventure. Their latest project, Lizard Music, adapts Daniel Pinkwater’s children's novel and blends live-action with CGI. Amazon MGM Studios has pegged the U.S. release for December 25, 2027, according to an announcement reported by Deadline.
Johnson steps into a role far from the fighting persona of Mark Kerr: an eccentric elderly man nicknamed Chicken Man, accompanied by a hen named Claudia. The actor told D23 at the August 2026 event that he spent five hours a day in makeup to pass for a septuagenarian. This new part marks another collaboration with Safdie, this time pairing a dramatic physical transformation with a story aimed at younger audiences.
The adventure kicks off with a boy, played by Theo Clark Leber, who stumbles upon a strange late-night TV show where lizards make music. His search for answers leads him to the Chicken Man. Published in 1976, Pinkwater’s book turns this meeting into the launch of a quest toward a secret society of reptile musicians.
The blend of live-action talent and digital creatures is complemented by a voice cast featuring Colman Domingo, Jeff Goldblum, Rachel McAdams, and David Krumholtz, whose involvement was announced on October 15. Their roles haven’t been detailed in the announcement. In France, no release date has yet been announced to align with the American calendar for Lizard Music.
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