Having starred in both critically acclaimed and financially successful projects over the years, Jake Gyllenhaal has become a major star in the movie industry, with much of his success being owed to his breakout performance in director Richard Kelly’s Donnie Darko. The film made its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival 20 years ago, with its ambitious blend of horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and comedy earning it a passionate cult following over the years, even if it was never a major blockbuster. Gyllenhaal recently took to Instagram to show off original artifacts from the film, while also admitting that fans still ask him to explain the complex narrative.
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“Pulled out my script and some artifacts from Donnie Darko,” Gyllenhaal shared earlier this week. “It was released 20 years ago today. It’s a film that changed my life and my career and it’s been unreal to watch this story find afterlives with new audiences and new generations, and yet, what Donnie said to Roberta Sparrow is still true: ‘there is so much to look forward to.’ Thank you to all the fans who’ve come up to me over the years with that confused look on their faces and asked me: ‘what the f**k is Donnie Darko about??’ Happy 20th Donnie! Let’s keep confusing people. Here’s to 20 more.”
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Gyllenhaal plays the title character, a high school student who is plagued by visions of a talking bunny after he is nearly killed by debris from an airplane. After being told the world will end in a few weeks, Donnie seeks answers for what it all means, researching the concept of time travel and destiny, as well as attempting to navigate the typical trials and tribulations of being a high school student in the ’80s.
Kelly delivered audiences the 2009 sequel S. Darko, which focused on Donnie’s sister, though that film was a critical and financial disappointment. Kelly has previously expressed that he still has plans in mind for another potential sequel.
“I think there’s something much bigger and more ambitious to do in that universe,” Kelly revealed to HMV back in 2017. “It’s big and expensive and I think there’s time to get to that. I want to make sure we’ve got the budget to do it justice and not to compromise anything.”
He added, “Another story in this world needs resources and we need to have that in place. I need to get my next film out of the gate and then we can go back and look at it.”
Stay tuned for details on the possible future of Donnie Darko.
Would you like to see the film get another follow-up? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!
