“Magazine Dreams” by Jonathan Majors is released in cinemas

Jonathan Majors’ bodybuilding drama Magazine dreams has found a way into theaters after being canceled by Searchlight in January following the star’s criminal conviction.

Briarcliff has taken over the project for distribution, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed and plans to release it in theaters in the first quarter of 2025. The Tom Ortenberg-led distributor has acquired controversial projects in the past and will release the Donald Trump feature film The apprentice later this month after no major Hollywood studio wanted to change it.

Writer and director Elijah Bynum Magazine dreams bowed at Sundance in 2023 and received rave reviews for the majors’ performance as amateur bodybuilder Killian Maddox, with the actor nabbing early accolades. Disney-owned Searchlight acquired the project after a bidding war, but ultimately dropped the film after Majors was convicted of assault and harassment stemming from an incident with his ex-partner Grace Jabbari.

Searchlight returned the film to the producers and allowed them to purchase it. Jennifer Fox, Dan Gilroy, Jeffrey Soros and Simon Horsman produced the film.

The Majors spent 18 months preparing for the role, earning comparisons to the work of Robert De Niro Taxi driver. The film was shot over 24 days in Los Angeles and won the Jury Prize for Creative Vision at Sundance.

“It’s an all-in performance for the ages, coupled with as much vulnerability as anger, and it’s to the Majors’ credit that our hearts ache for Killian, even – or perhaps especially – when he’s out of control,” he wrote The Hollywood Reporter Chief film critic David Rooney in his review. “The Majors and writer-director Elijah Bynum achieve the remarkable feat of making us more afraid of the intimidating juggernaut than of the trembling employer he faces.”

Majors was once one of the rising stars of his generation. Following his conviction, Marvel Studios dropped Majors as villain Kang the Conqueror, while Lionsgate dropped its Dennis Rodman film 48 hours in Vegasbefore it started production. Majors hasn’t booked any studio work since then, but he’ll be taking over indie production soon graceDirector: Martin Villeneuve, brother of dune Director Denis Villeneuve.

deadline first reported the news.