Magazine Dreams has had a long and winding road to getting a wide release date and theatrical distribution. After its premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and winning the Sundance Special Jury Prize, the film was initially slated for December 2023 release after being acquired by Searchlight Pictures. However, following controversy surrounding Jonathan Majors, who stars in and executive produced the film, Magazine Dreams was subsequently dropped by Searchlight, leaving the film without a home for quite some time.
Now, Entertainment Weekly has exclusively revealed the first official trailer for the film, which was written and directed by Elijah Bynum. Briarcliff Entertainment is distributing Magazine Dreams, with the movie now debuting on March 21st, 2025. The trailer, which you can view below, teases the story of Killian Maddox (Majors), a man who strives to be a world-famous bodybuilder, no matter the physical or psychological cost. In a move that feels like damage control, the trailer is filled with pull quotes praising Major’s performance, with one quote from the trailer calling it an “earth-shattering showcase that turns an actor into a legend.”
It’s evident that Majors put his all into the physicality of the performance, as Maddox is depicted as a hulking figure with an odd and awkward demeanor. Magazine Dreams’ examination of the psyche of a man unable to establish an emotional connection with others. Still, despite the praise for the actor’s performance (which occurred before his controversies became well known), Majors still has fallout to deal with about his past actions.
‘Magazine Dreams’ is the Beginning of a Long Road Ahead for Jonathan Majors
After Major’s conviction for domestic assault in 2023, Magazine Dreams wasn’t the only project that was compromised because of the actor. Marvel Studios fired Majors, and the MCU changed its future plans for theatrical releases, dropping the Kang the Conqueror character entirely and shifting its focus to Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom. What was once supposed to be Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, with Majors taking on a Josh Brolin Thanos-level role as the main antagonist, was eventually turned into Avengers: Doomsday.
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As it stands, Majors isn’t going to be making a return to the MCU anytime soon. However, the release of Magazine Dreams is the first step in the actor’s long road ahead in an attempt to salvage and continue his acting career. The wide release of Magazine Dreams should prove interesting, especially if publicity is done for the film that involves Majors taking part in any kind of interviews for the film.
Briarcliff Entertainment is no stranger to distributing controversial films, having previously released Sebastian Stan’s Donald Trump biopic, The Apprentice just last year. Moreover, while Majors is the star and one of the executive producers, the film isn’t just his work alone. Featuring the likes of Harrison Page and Haley Bennett, Magazine Dreams is a collaborative effort like any film production, making Bynum’s movie worth checking out for anyone comfortable seeing Majors on the big screen again.
Magazine Dreams
- Runtime
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124 minutes
- Director
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Elijah Bynum
- Writers
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Elijah Bynum
- Producers
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Dan Gilroy, Jennifer Fox, Simon Horsman, Jonathan Majors, Jeffrey Soros, Andrew Blau
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
