'Donnie Darko' Back in Theaters for 15th Anniversary
Donnie Darko heads back to theaters for its 15th anniversary (despite its technically having been released theatrically in October 2001). The surreal drama launched the career of Jake Gyllenhaal, who stepped in for Jason Schwartzman after scheduling conflicts.
Darko predated ’80s-tinged suburban paranormal fare like Stranger Things and the upcoming two-part adaptation of Stephen King’s It. It also hit at just the right time to capitalize on early-2000s emo-culture merchandise for the film, mostly featuring the twisted visage of Frank the Bunny, which has been a mainstay at alternative mall outlets like Hot Topic. The DVD-era home video success of the film prompted a much-maligned sequel, S. Darko (2009), which writer-director Richard Kelly was not involved with and has publicly denounced.
Kelly has overseen a new 4K restoration of the original film for this rerelease. For those wondering, the restoration effort covers both the theatrical and director’s cuts.
Despite Darko’s cult status, Kelly has never had a mainstream hit. His last film was 2009’s The Box, which had a tough time finding love from audiences. Recently, though, Kelly has teased possible upcoming films. “I have a lot of ambitious projects in the works and they take a long time to put together,” he explained to Cut Print Film in March 2017. “It’s been a long time and it’s been frustrating … [but] we’re really close.”
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