Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson coming back to Atlanta for ‘Lizard Music’ film
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is returning to metro Atlanta for new fantasy-adventure film “Lizard Music” this summer.
The movie is set to be shot at Trilith Studios in Fayetteville from Aug. 3 through Oct. 14, according to IATSE 479, the local crew union.
“Lizard Music” is based on a Daniel Pinkwater cult classic novel. According to IMDb, the movie is about a young boy who stumbles upon strange lizard musicians on late-night TV, leading him to befriend Chicken Man (Johnson), who owns an elderly chicken. Their quest for answers reveals hidden worlds and an unlikely but magical friendship.
It’s unclear how big a budget this movie is going to have, but the pending arrival of a Johnson vehicle is good news for Georgia’s film and TV business, which has now settled into a much slower pace from the late 2010s and early 2020s.
Recently announced productions for Georgia include a “Scooby-Doo” live-action series; Damon Wayans Jr. TV pilot “Puzzled,”; the Elizabeth Banks-hosted game show “Press Your Luck”; and the Tyler Perry Netflix show “Where There’s Smoke.”
No other casting announcements for “Lizard Music” have been made yet. The movie will be written and directed by Benny Safdie, who wrote and directed last year’s “The Smashing Machine,” which Johnson also starred in.
That movie, based on the life of mixed-martial arts and UFC champion Mark Kerr, was a box office disappointment, grossing about $21.1 million against a reported $51 million budget, according to Box Office Mojo.
The movie garnered generally favorable reviews with a 71% fresh rating on film review site Rotten Tomatoes, and Golden Globe nominations for Johnson and his co-star Emily Blunt.
Johnson discussed his connection with Safdie in a 2024 interview with Variety.
“Benny wants to create, and continues to push the envelope when it comes to stories that are raw and real, characters that are authentic and at times uncomfortable and arresting,” Johnson said. “I’m at a point in my career where I want to push myself in ways that I’ve not pushed myself in the past. I’m at a point in my career where I want to make films that matter, that explore a humanity and explore struggle (and) pain.”
Both Johnson and Safdie are also listed as producers on “Lizard Music”.
Johnson has been a regular in Atlanta for the past decade. He has acted in three “Fast & Furious” films, two “Jumanji” movies, “Jungle Cruise” (2021), “Red One” (2024) and the upcoming live-action “Moana,” set to come to theaters July 10.
He even hosted a short-lived NBC competition show “Titan Games” in 2010 and a small portion of his NBC series “Young Rock” in metro Atlanta.
In 2019, Johnson in 2019 purchased a horse farm in Powder Springs for $9.5 million but sold it last year for $6.1 million, taking a major loss.
About the Author
Rodney Ho writes about entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution including TV, radio, film, comedy and all things in between. A native New Yorker, he has covered education at The Virginian-Pilot, small business for The Wall Street Journal and a host of beats at the AJC over 20-plus years. He loves tennis, pop culture & seeing live events.
