Fans defend The Rock after he revealed 'slim' look which has left people extremely concerned

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is sporting a new look for his latest movie, leaving his fans divided.

Over the weekend, the cult WWE hero stepped out onto the Venice Film Festival's red carpet looking more chiselled than ever after shedding the pounds for his latest film venture - starring as UFC fighter Mark Kerr in the biopic The Smashing Machine.

While the 53-year-old is being tipped for an Oscar win for his performance in the drama, which is earmarked for release on October 3, many people have raised their concerns regarding his well-being.

One person commented on Instagram: "His eyes… something is not right if the picture is true," while another urged fans to 'pray for his health and well being'.

But not everyone read so deeply into the Californian's weight loss.

"Oh 4 God sake the dudes getting a bit older & probably just doin' less lifting. He still looks great!" added another.

"He just lost the weight to play a part in a movie I'll be glad when it's over and he put it back on," typed a second.

While a third penned: "He looks great for an old man who put his body through so much wear and tear. You try being a WWE superstar for years then let's see what you look like after 50.

"I just want to see him be a good role model. Who cares about his face."

"He doesn't look sick, when you loose weight, the skin sacks, common sense, as long as he's healthy that's all it matters," added a fourth.

The Rock's bold move to shed the pounds for the two-hour production is likely to be justified through his first-ever Oscar nomination of his career.

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has worried fans after having shed the pounds for his latest movie 'The Smashing Machine' (Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)

Speaking to reporters in Italy yesterday (September 1), Johnson said: "I've been scared to go deep and intense and raw until now, until I had this opportunity to do this."

He went on to explain how he has 'wanted this for a long time', and how he's felt 'pigeon-holed' into producing blockbuster films, as he explained how it was hard for him to break the mould.

He continued: "But I think what I did realise is I just had this burning desire and this voice that was just saying, 'what if there's more, what if I can?'.

"Sometimes it's hard to know what you're capable of when you've been pigeon-holed into something. It's harder to know 'wait, can I do that? I feel like I can'.

"And sometimes it takes people who you love and respect to say 'you can'."