Disgraced actor Jonathan Majors continues a career comeback, with Briarcliff Entertainment picking up his shelved psychological sports drama Magazine Dreams. The movie, which follows Majors as an intensely troubled aspiring bodybuilder, had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival back in 2023. The movie was met with a positive response, with critics confident that Majors would find himself in the Oscars conversation.
Of course, that all came to an end when Majors was accused of, and has since been found guilty of, assault and harassment. This resulted in Majors, who had seen his star rise rapidly after roles in the likes of Lovecraft Country and Creed 3. Majors then joined one of the most successful franchises of all time, the MCU, starring as the villainous Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The character was intended to be the main villain for the rest of the franchise’s arc, but the actor found himself fired by the studio following the verdicts.
Now, the actor will return to the big screen, with Deadline reporting that Briarcliff Entertainment has “acquired domestic distribution rights to the critically acclaimed film with plans to release in the first quarter of 2025.” Whether this means that Majors will be brought back into the Hollywood fold, we will just have to wait and see.
Following its debut last year, Magazine Dreams was intended to be released on December 8, 2023, by Searchlight Pictures. After the allegations surfaced, the project was shelved indefinitely and dropped by the distributor.
One of the Most Compelling & Transformative Roles in Recent Cinema History
Briarcliff founder Tom Ortenberg confirmed that the deal has been made, releasing a statement in which he praises Magazine Dreams as “a visceral experience.”
“Magazine Dreams is a visceral experience that challenges the perceptions of ambition and identity. Elijah’s film made a well-deserved splash in Sundance and Briarcliff is looking forward to taking his story to the big screen across the country in early 2025.”
At the time, Magazine Dreams was met with rave reviews. The movie currently stands at an impressive 82% on Rotten Tomatoes, with Ortenberg adding that Majors’ performance will be remembered as “one of the most compelling and transformative roles in recent cinema history.”
“Jonathan Majors’ transcendent performance as Killian Maddox will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the most compelling and transformative roles in recent cinema history. We are honored to bring this extraordinary work to theaters nationwide, inviting audiences to witness a story that will resonate long after the credits roll.”
Magazine Dreams is produced by Jennifer Fox, Dan Gilroy, Jeffrey Soros, and Simon Horsman, with executive producers including Majors himself for his Tall Street Productions, and Luke Rodgers and Andrew Blau for Los Angeles Media Fund. The movie’s release, and Majors’ involvement, is sure to be controversial, and only time will tell whether this will affect the release of Magazine Dreams negatively or not. There are no doubt many who have longed to see the powerful drama since the buzz began at Sundance, while others will feel insulted by Majors being given a second chance so quickly, if at all.
Magazine Dreams
will now debut in 2025.