VibesOfAfrica Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is making everyone do fast and furious double takes.
The Moana star’s dramatic weight loss transformation for his upcoming film The Smashing Machine was on full display while stepping out at the Miu Miu Women’s Tales event on Aug. 30 during the 2025 Venice Film Festival.
Dwayne—who portrays real-life MMA fighter Mark Kerr in the movie—showed off his new slimmed-down figure during the outing by sporting a silk, short-sleeved blue button-down adorned with colorful sketches and straight-leg black trousers. In a video captured from the occasion and shared to X Aug. 31, the 53-year-old looked so different as he tucked his hands into his pockets and smiled for the cameras.
Following the unveiling, many fans were impressed with his head-turning new appearance. As one user wrote on X, “Yep had to do a double take.”
Others noted how much his body has changed with light-hearted quips about his stage name.
“The rock became the pebble,” another user said, while a third added that he’s “turning into The Pebble.”
And more than a few expressed their excitement over seeing his transformation on screen in The Smashing Machine, which was directed by Benny Safdie and also stars Emily Blunt.
“The Smashing Machine is really setting the bar high,” one user said. “An unrecognizable Dwayne Johnson looks to give the best performance of his career.”
Indeed, Dwayne was equally thrilled to show off his new appearance, which in addition to losing weight, included him applying over a dozen prosthetics and sitting in a makeup chair for up to four hours per day.
“This transformation was something I was really hungry to do,” the former wrestler said during a Sept. 1 press conference for the film, per The Hollywood Reporter. “I had been very fortunate to have the career that I’ve had over the years and to make the films that I’ve made, but there was just a voice inside of me, a little voice that said, ‘Well, what if I could do more—I want to do more and what does that look like?’”
