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10-Year-Old Theo Leber Lands Lead Role Opposite Dwayne Johnson In Benny Safdie’s ‘Lizard Music’ For Amazon MGM & United Artists
Ten-year-old Chicago-area actor Theo Clark Leber has landed the lead role opposite Dwayne Johnson in Benny Safdie's *Lizard Music*, an adaptation of Daniel Pinkwater's 1976 novel being made for Amazon MGM Studios and United Artists. The casting marks the feature film debut for the fourth-grader, following a lengthy casting process, and represents a potentially significant career break in a project reuniting Johnson with Safdie after their collaboration on *The Smashing Machine*.
The live-action/CGI hybrid follows a boy, played by Leber, who discovers a secret late-night broadcast of lizards playing music and is drawn into a search for answers alongside an eccentric character called The Chicken Man, played by Johnson, and his 111-year-old chicken companion, Claudia. Producers include United Artists' Scott Stuber and Nick Nesbitt, Safdie for his Out for the Count Productions, Johnson for Seven Bucks Productions, and David Koplan of Magnetic Fields Entertainment. Leber, from Evanston, Illinois, was most recently seen on stage in *Leopoldstadt* at Writers Theatre in Glencoe.
In short
- Theo Clark Leber, 10, cast as lead in Dwayne Johnson's *Lizard Music*
- Benny Safdie directs the Amazon MGM/United Artists adaptation
- Marks Leber's feature film debut after months-long casting search
Explained simply
A new film adaptation of Daniel Pinkwater's 1976 children's novel "Lizard Music" is in production with Amazon MGM Studios and United Artists. The live-action and computer-animated hybrid film follows a young boy who stumbles upon a secret late-night television broadcast featuring lizards performing music, setting him on a mystery to uncover the truth behind the strange discovery.
Ten-year-old Theo Leber from Illinois has been cast in the lead role, marking his feature film debut. He will star opposite well-known actor Dwayne Johnson, who plays an eccentric character called The Chicken Man who guides the boy through his adventure. Benny Safdie is directing the film, with production backed by several major producers including Johnson's own production company.
This project reunites Johnson and Safdie following their previous collaboration on "The Smashing Machine". The casting represents a potentially significant early career opportunity for the young actor, after a lengthy search for the right performer for the role.
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