Dwayne Johnson has finally revealed the real reason behind losing weight.

The WWE star’s fans were shocked to see his “slimmed” physique, after he stepped out for the world premiere of his new movie The Smashing Machine during the Venice Film Festival earlier this month.

Now, during a recent Q&A session at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival’s “In Conversation With…” series, Johnson revealed he is “teaming up” with The Smashing Machine‘s director, Benny Safdie, for an upcoming project and he is shedding weight for it.

“We’re gonna make a film called Lizard Music, which is based on a novel written by Daniel Pinkwater,” he revealed.

Sharing insights of the character he shared, “(Johnson’s role) 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.”

As the Jumanji actor bulked up for portraying former MMA fighter and UFC heavyweight champion Mark Kerr, in Smashing Machine, now, Johnson joked he is eating “less chicken” to shed weight for the new role.

“This is me slimmed down,” he revealed. “In the process of slimming down. I still have a long ways to go.”

“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,” Rock added.

Emily Blunt revealed how “fast” she and Dwayne Johnson became pals at The Smashing Machine set, “like an immediate secret language.”

The WWE star and the Devil Wears Prada actress candidly spoke about their sweet bond at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.

During a Q & A session with “In Conversation with…” panel, The Smashing Machine costars were asked about chemistry.

“We just became very fast friends, like an immediate secret language, which I think you feel with certain people that you work with,” Emily said.

“We just talked and shared our souls. And I was just really taken by, I guess, how different he was from what I had imagined,” she recalled their time spent while filming on set

“He was so gentle and quite interior and sort of contemplative and kind, just easy. Like, so lovely to be around, funny and quick, all these qualities,” Emily gushed.

Dawyne did not hold back from praising Emily and joined her saying, “I also want to give Emily her flowers too. She is one of the greatest actors of our time — of all time. And also one of my best friends.”

“In order to go to the place we were going to go, you have to have love, and then you have to have trust. And the love and the trust then allow for vulnerability. We could not have done that without this love and trust and vulnerability that we have.”

“I want to thank you, because you are the greatest,” he added.

Teyana Taylor and Leonardo DiCaprio onscreen chemistry in their new movie, One Battle After Another, hit different but off-screen, they became instant friends.

In a recent chat with The New York Times on Monday, September 8, the costars revealed that their friendship started long before filming.

When asked how Taylor was cast as Perfidia, DiCaprio said, “I’ve known Teyana for a long time.”

“Paul and I were talking about who would play this lightning rod of a character that was a radical but also somebody that was able to manipulate,” he explained. “The echoes of her character reverberate throughout the entire movie, and every character is emotionally scarred by Perfidia.”

The Titanic star added, “So we knew we needed to get somebody that could be not only bold and outspoken, but bring that improvisational talent of truth in the moment…She just embodied that character in a way that I don’t think anyone else could. We’re all left as carnage after she comes onscreen, picking up the pieces of our lives.”

Taylor revealed how their friendship began: “Funny thing: Me and Leo actually met at Diana Ross’s birthday party some years back and instantly became best buds. That’s my wingman, my partner in crime!”

In the Paul Thomas Anderson-directed action-thriller the actors’ off screen bond has clearly translated into on screen chemistry.