When “Magazine dreams“Premiere at Sundance 2023 Film Festival, it seemed positioned to be one of this year’s breakout hits. Jonathan Majors Was on the way for a career best year, with roles in “Creed 3” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” coming, while Elijah Bynum’s bodybuilding drama gave the actor the kind of showcase that many thought could lead to Oscar glory. A Sundance Bud war broke out, with Searchlight acquire theater law and plan a late 2023 edition.
But these plans collapsed when Majors were arrested on allegations of abuse and harassment in March 2023 and found guilty in December 2023. Searchlight pulled the movie From its release calendar and Majors were dropped from many of his future projects, including his role as Kang in Marvel Cinematic Universe, which was expected to continue through the upcoming two “Avengers” films.
“Magazine Dreams” again acted to interested buyers and Acquired by Briarcliff EntertainmentA distributor who is known for his willingness to take on controversial movies such as Ali Abbasi’s “The Apprentice.” When it meets theaters in March, Cinephiles will finally get a chance to see a movie that could have become a career -defining performance for Majors.
Written and directed by Bynum, “Magazine Dreams” follows an amateur body builder who struggles to remain sensible while balancing the dreams of showing up in muscle magic that drives his athletic ambitions and his day jobs working in a grocery store. The film also plays Haley Bennett, Taylour Paige and Mike O’HEARN.
In her First review Of the film after its Sundance premiere, IndieWires Kate noted the parallels between “Magazine Dreams” and “Taxi Driver”, with Majors’ Killian Maddox comparisons with Robert De Niro’s Travis Bickle for the level of isolation and obsession as both characters show. “But it’s hard to imagine that Travis Bickle ever includes even a quarter of the control, the driving force and determination that we see from Majors Killian Maddox in the first act of the film,” she wrote. “Control is at the center of Killian’s primary obsession: to become a bodybuilding star, the type that dots the cover to, yes, magazines.”
Briarcliff Entertainment will release “Magazine Dreams” in theaters on Friday 21 March. See the movie’s first trailer below.
