Dwayne Johnson’s Next Film With The Smashing Machine Director Just Took a Big Step Forward
Fresh off the U.S. theatrical release of A24’s The Smashing Machine, Dwayne Johnson and director Benny Safdie have notched a major update on their next collaboration—proof this hard-hitting partnership is only getting started.
Dwayne Johnson and Benny Safdie are not done working together. After teaming on the MMA drama 'The Smashing Machine,' their next movie just landed a studio — and the premise is wonderfully odd in a way that feels very Benny.
Where it landed
Amazon MGM is backing the project under its United Artists banner. The studio is clearly excited about this pairing, and they are not shy about saying so:
"We are so thrilled to partner once again with extraordinarily talented Dwayne Johnson, as well as work for the first time with the amazing creator, writer, and director Benny Safdie, on Lizard Music," Amazon MGM Studios' Courtenay Valenti said in a statement. "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. We are very fortunate that they have trusted us to be their studio partners."
So... what is 'Lizard Music'?
Based on Daniel Pinkwater's book, the story follows a kid who slips through a metaphorical hidden door and discovers a secret late-night TV broadcast of lizards playing otherworldly tunes. Yes, lizards. Yes, on TV. Stay with me.
His search brings him to an eccentric 70-something known as Chicken Man — that’s Johnson’s role — who travels with a 111-year-old chicken named Claudia. The two are kind of spiritual twins who meet at the right moment, and their quest starts as a hunt for a hidden society before opening up into a bigger, weirder journey through unseen worlds, unexpected musical rhythms, and a found-family bond.
The quick catch-up
- Studio: Amazon MGM, via United Artists
- Source material: Daniel Pinkwater's novel 'Lizard Music'
- Creative team: Benny Safdie is on board; the studio calls him the creator, writer, and director
- Star: Dwayne Johnson as Chicken Man
- Status: No release date yet
- Previous collaboration: 'The Smashing Machine' is in U.S. theaters now via A24; Safdie directs; Johnson plays MMA legend Mark Kerr; Emily Blunt is Dawn Staples; Ryan Bader plays Mark Coleman
This one was first announced last month as a Johnson/Safdie reunion, and now it has a home. No timeline yet, but the mix of Safdie weirdness and Johnson playing a whimsical septuagenarian with a century-plus-old chicken sidekick is, at the very least, not something we see every day.