They say every role leaves a mark—but in the case of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, one role may have physically shaped another. Long before production on the live-action Moana reboot began, Johnson underwent a radical transformation for A24’s biopic The Smashing Machine. And, as it turns out, a lot of that work stuck, impacting his return as Maui in a way I hadn’t realized.
While he may be heading back to the beach for the upcoming Disney live-action movie, Johnson brought more than charm and demigod tattoos this time around. In a new interview with Variety, the Fast and Furious alum opened up about the toll Benny Safdie’s acclaimed 2025 movie release took on him—emotionally and physically. After bulking up to portray real-life fighter Mark Kerr, Johnson said he had just two weeks before rolling straight into Moana. He explained:
But it’s not just gaining weight. It’s putting on a quality of muscle that has fast-twitch capacity. He’s a wrestler. It’s not about bodybuilding. I’ve never done so much trap and neck work in my life. Old-school wrestlers with no necks? That’s what I had to do. And I held that weight for three and a half months. Then, two weeks later, I had to roll into ‘Moana.’ So it was Mark Kerr and Maui. Big dudes.
For The Rock, the transformation wasn’t just about size, but speed and authenticity to the character. For The Smashing Machine, he trained like a wrestler, not a bodybuilder, to mirror Kerr’s explosive power. However, that aesthetic overlaps with Maui’s larger-than-life persona, yet the intention behind it was completely different. Smashing Machine demanded physical brutality and emotional vulnerability. On the other hand, Moana demanded a Disney-level combination of charisma and presence. Somehow, the Mummy Returns veteran had to carry both.
Johnson looks a bit different now, though. Fans who’ve followed the Black Adam star’s recent red carpet appearances may have noticed another transformation—he’s significantly leaner now, dropping weight for a very different kind of role. Per People's reporting from TIFF, Johnson is reuniting with Safdie after The Smashing Machine, but this time for something entirely unexpected. He explained to a crowd at TIFF:
We're gonna make a film called Lizard Music, which is based off of a novel written by Daniel Pinkwater… it is 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… 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.
From The Smashing Machine to Moana, and now back again with Safdie for another bold transformation, Dwayne Johnson’s movie career feels more exciting—and more dynamic—than ever. He’s really turning a corner as a film star, and it's clear how much he’s poured into these recent roles.
The behind-the-scenes physical transformation offers a glimpse of what to expect from the live-action Moana as it approaches its release amid the 2026 movie schedule. Maui won’t just be a CGI-enhanced spectacle but a physically grounded presence, thanks in large part to the minimal turnaround time between roles. In a way, The Rock is bringing some of The Smashing Machine’s emotional and physical weight to the shores of Motunui, and that’s a version of Maui I didn’t see coming (but can’t wait to watch).
If you’re looking forward to upcoming Dwayne Johnson movies, you’re gonna want to mark your calendars as The Smashing Machine hits theaters on October 3. Also, the live-action version of Moana will be released on July 10, 2026.
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