Dwayne Johnson broke his silence after his recent weight loss sparked a wave of reactions, with some fans expressing concern about potential health issues while others speculated he may have turned to drugs like Ozempic.

The actor explained that the transformation is tied to his next role, shedding the muscle he built for "The Smashing Machine" to play a whimsical 70-year-old known as Chicken Man in "Lizard Music."

The film reunites Johnson with director Benny Safdie, who guided him through his acclaimed turn as MMA champion Mark Kerr. Johnson revealed the project Monday during a career retrospective at the Toronto International Film Festival, where "The Smashing Machine" is screening.

"Benny pitched me this after," Johnson said, according to Variety. "And after about 45 minutes, this pitch ended and I said, 'I am your Chicken Man.' "

Adapted from Daniel Pinkwater's novel, "Lizard Music" follows an eccentric septuagenarian whose closest friend is a chicken of the same age. Johnson acknowledged that his physical shift is ongoing.

"I still have a long way to go," he said, adding with that the new regimen requires "eating less chicken."

Johnson has previously spoken about the discipline required for his physical transformations. In a 2022 Men's Health interview about Black Adam, he said portraying a superhero demanded "constant work."

"My goal was to bring in the best physique of my career," he said at the time. "When you have that suit on, every detail shows. Man, it was constant work, constant tweaking, tweaking, tweaking for months."

His latest project marks a shift from the action-driven films such as "Jumanji" and "Fast Five" that established Johnson as a box office mainstay.

"I felt for a few years, I was pigeonholed because I allowed it to happen," Johnson said. " 'Smashing Machine' is for me."

Safdie's film follows Kerr's career highs alongside his battles with addiction and a turbulent relationship with his girlfriend, portrayed by Emily Blunt. The drama has drawn early awards attention and is regarded as one of Johnson's most demanding roles to date.

"You hope it's like, 'Hey, we made this thing. We love it. We hope you do, too, and if you don't, it's OK. Maybe you'll like the next thing,' " he said.

Johnson noted that he will continue working on large-scale commercial films alongside more unconventional projects. He announced plans to reteam with Kevin Hart on "Jumanji 3," which begins filming in November.

"The films that I made in the past, I love them," he said. "I'll go back to making them again."