Searchlight Pictures has struck gold with its recent acquisition of the body-building feature, Magazine Dreams, led by Jonathan Majors, who has been making waves in the film industry.
Elijah Bynum wrote and directed Magazine Dreams which also stars Taylour Paige, Haley Bennett, Mike O’Hearn, Harrison Page and Harriet Sansom Harris.
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The film follows the journey of Killian Maddox (Majors), a determined young man who wants to make it big in the world of bodybuilding. All while facing a range of personal and emotional struggles, including feelings of alienation, anger issues, and the responsibility of looking after his ailing grandfather.
Magazine Dreams, which premiered last month at the Sundance Film Festival, was met with critical acclaim for its powerful storytelling, and Majors’ performance has been hailed as a “tour-de-force” by Searchlight presidents Matthew Greenfield and David Greenbaum.
“We are very proud to bring Elijah’s powerful film to the world,” said Searchlight presidents Matthew Greenfield and David Greenbaum. “Jonathan’s tour-de-force performance, both physically and emotionally, affected us in profound ways.”
The film was a challenging undertaking for Majors, who spent over a year training for the role and transformed his physique for the part. According to Bynum, Majors gave his all to the role, both physically and emotionally, resulting in a performance that was so powerful that it often left the crew in awe. Bynum even admitted that after some scenes, Majors would break down, and they would have to take a few minutes to regroup before moving on.
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Majors has been on a roll lately, having recently appeared in Devotion and is starring as the villain Kang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which will be released on February 17. And two weeks later he will will star as antagonist Damian in Creed III, due to hit theaters on March 3.
With his star on the rise, it’s no surprise that Searchlight was keen to acquire Magazine Dreams and share it with audiences around the world.
The deal was brokered by CAA Media Finance and Searchlight’s Paul Hoffman and Chan Phung. The release plans for Magazine Dreams have not been disclosed yet, but fans of Majors and fans of emotionally charged, character-driven stories can look forward to seeing it in the near future.