:Magazine Dreams

{{More plot|section|date=March 2025}}

Killian Maddox is a mentally ill grocery store worker obsessed with bodybuilding. He lives with his grandfather ("Paw-Paw") as a result of his father committing murder–suicide against his mother. His dream to be the best in bodybuilding aids in creating negative behaviors, with the steroids he takes to support his physique leading to physical ailings. Killian has frequent, recurring, emotional outbursts and appears unable to express his true emotions.

As he prepares for a show, he attempts to ask out his love interest, Jessie, at the grocery store where he works. In fact, he asks her out while he's shopping, only to walk out awkwardly. He is also obsessed with fitness champion Brad who does not reply to Killian's written letters. Killian talks about his bodybuilding goals and admiration for Brad in his written letters. Killian also includes his phone number, hoping Brad would call. Killian threatens a local painter's shop as the owner refuses to repaint his grandfather's house due to his 'Paw-Paw's' claims of thin paint needing another coat; eventually destroying the shop's windows and inventory.

Killian takes out Jessie to dinner, where he trauma dumps about the deaths of his parents before devolving into an intense monologue expressing his bodybuilding dreams. Jessie leaves him at the restaurant. He's distraught as he focuses on his next fitness show. Immediately before the next show, the local painter owner's nephew and friends assault him. Despite the beating, he drives to the show. He steps on stage and begins to pose, only to pass out. He wakes up in a bathtub, icing his body.

Following the disaster of a show, Killian hides his true dark and violent feelings and real-life happenings from his counselor, eventually picking up Pink Coat with the intent to have sex, only to be unable to continue after she demands no kissing. Killian's spiral continues: he is fired from his job, he encounters the owner's nephew again, with his family, in a diner, causing a threatening scene, and he begins purchasing and assembling guns.

Unexpectedly, Brad calls, inviting Killian to a photo shoot. Brad pursues an affair with Killian, and the two sleep together. Following their anonymous sex meet-up, Brad returns to being unresponsive to Killian's attempts at contact. Killian, in turn, continues fantasizing about murder. He breaks into the home of a judge who provided a criticism that he returns to several times over at earlier points in the film, forcing him (at gunpoint) to strip and pose.

Killian then attends Brad's posing show armed with a gun and fantasizes shooting and killing Brad on stage during a disorienting montage sequence featuring previous moments from Killian's life, including interactions with his parents as a child; though Killian ultimately leaves without shooting. Upon returning home, he breaks down in his Paw-Paw's arms, dissembles his gun, throwing it away near a set of train tracks, dumps his steroids into a toilet, and commences flexing, yet again, in his garage, reiterating his still-existing bodybuilding dreams in voiceover narration.

• Jonathan Majors as Killian Maddox, an aspiring bodybuilder who struggles to find human connection
• Haley Bennett as Jessie, a grocery store worker and Killian's love-interest
• Taylour Paige as Pink Coat, a sex worker
• Mike O'Hearn as Brad Vanderhorn, a professional bodybuilder and Killian's idol
• Harrison Page as William Lattimore, Killian's grandfather
• Harriet Sansom Harris as Patricia Waldron, Killian's counselor
• Bradley Stryker as Ken Donaghue, a roofing and plumbing worker who assaults Killian
• Dan Donahue as Dr. Prescott, Killian's doctor
• Craig Cackowski as a bodybuilding contest judge who placed Killian poorly
• David Maurice Johnson as the Head Judge of the regional bodybuilding competition

In October 2021, Jonathan Majors joined the cast of the film, with Elijah Bynum directing from a screenplay he wrote, with Majors also serving as an executive producer, and Jennifer Fox and Dan Gilroy serving as producers.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/10/jonathan-majors-magazine-dreams-1234860523/|title=Jonathan Majors To Star in 'Magazine Dreams' With Jennifer Fox And Dan Gilroy Producing|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Justin|last=Kroll|date=October 21, 2021|access-date=January 9, 2023|archive-date=January 9, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230109201808/https://deadline.com/2021/10/jonathan-majors-magazine-dreams-1234860523/|url-status=live}} In July 2022, Haley Bennett, Taylour Paige and Mike O'Hearn joined the cast of the film.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/06/taylour-paige-haley-bennett-magazine-dreams-jonathan-majors-1235039335/|title=Taylour Paige & Haley Bennett Join Jonathan Majors In 'Magazine Dreams'|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Anthony|last=D'Alessandro|date=July 6, 2022|access-date=January 9, 2023|archive-date=January 9, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230109201808/https://deadline.com/2022/06/taylour-paige-haley-bennett-magazine-dreams-jonathan-majors-1235039335/|url-status=live}}

To prepare for his role, Majors ate 6,100 calories a day for four months and trained for six hours every day to obtain and maintain the extreme muscular physique of his role.{{Cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/2023/film/news/jonathan-majors-magazine-dreams-6000-calories-workouts-1235497935/|title=Jonathan Majors Ate 6,100 Calories a Day for Four Months to Transform Into a Bodybuilder for 'Magazine Dreams'|first=Zack|last=Sharf|date=January 21, 2023|magazine=Variety|access-date=January 22, 2023|archive-date=January 22, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122175112/https://variety.com/2023/film/news/jonathan-majors-magazine-dreams-6000-calories-workouts-1235497935/|url-status=live}}

Magazine Dreams had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2023.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/12/sundance-film-festival-2023-lineup-1235191713/|title=Sundance Film Festival Lineup Set With Ukraine War, Little Richard, Michael J. Fox, Judy Blume Docs; Pics With Anne Hathaway, Emilia Clarke, Jonathan Majors; More|website=Deadline Hollywood|first1=Anthony|last1=D'Alessandro|first2=Dominic|last2=Patten|date=December 7, 2022|access-date=January 9, 2023|archive-date=January 29, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230129014458/https://deadline.com/2022/12/sundance-film-festival-2023-lineup-1235191713/|url-status=live}} For the premiere, the production team declined to provide an open captioned print of the film, and the alternate seat-side captioning device provided to juror Marlee Matlin malfunctioned, thus the jurors collectively walked out of the initial screening in support of Matlin's inability to watch it. According to a statement from Sundance, the device was repaired and the jurors were able to screen the film later, as a group.{{Cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/2023/film/news/sundance-jury-walks-out-magazine-dreams-premiere-festival-marlee-matlin-captioning-1235497789/|title=Sundance Jury Walks Out of 'Magazine Dreams' Premiere After Festival Fails to Provide Captioning for Juror Marlee Matlin (EXCLUSIVE)|first1=Tatiana|last1=Siegel|first2=Matt|last2=Donnelly|first3=Brent|last3=Lang|date=January 21, 2023|magazine=Variety|access-date=January 22, 2023|archive-date=January 22, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122131437/https://variety.com/2023/film/news/sundance-jury-walks-out-magazine-dreams-premiere-festival-marlee-matlin-captioning-1235497789/|url-status=live}} The following month, Searchlight Pictures acquired distribution rights to the film, beating out bidders including Neon, Sony Pictures Classics and HBO.{{cite web |last=Fleming |first=Mike Jr. |date=February 14, 2023 |title=Searchlight Pictures Muscling Deal For Elijah Bynum's 'Magazine Dreams,' Sundance Pic With Tour De Force Jonathan Majors Performance |url=https://deadline.com/2023/02/jonathan-majors-magazine-dreams-searchlight-pictures-acquisition-sundance-film-festival-elijah-bynum-1235259129/ |access-date=February 14, 2023 |website=Deadline Hollywood |archive-date=February 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230214143220/https://deadline.com/2023/02/jonathan-majors-magazine-dreams-searchlight-pictures-acquisition-sundance-film-festival-elijah-bynum-1235259129/ |url-status=live }}

The film was originally scheduled to be released theatrically on December 8, 2023,{{Cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=March 24, 2023 |title=Searchlight Sets December Release For Jonathan Majors Sundance Title 'Magazine Dreams' |url=https://deadline.com/2023/03/jonathan-majors-magazine-dreams-release-date-sundance-1235309422/ |access-date=March 24, 2023 |website=Deadline |language=en-US |archive-date=March 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230324174102/https://deadline.com/2023/03/jonathan-majors-magazine-dreams-release-date-sundance-1235309422/ |url-status=live }} but in October 2023, Searchlight's parent, Walt Disney Studios, removed the film from its release schedule in response to both the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike and assault allegations against Majors.{{Cite news |last=Lang |first=Brent |date=October 27, 2023 |title=Disney's Live-Action 'Snow White' Delays to 2025, Jonathan Majors' 'Magazine Dreams' Pulled Off Calendar |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/news/disney-live-action-snow-white-delayed-jonathan-majors-magazine-dreams-1235770839/ |access-date=October 31, 2023}}{{cite news |last=McClintock |first=Pamela |title=Disney Delays 'Snow White' and 'Elio' a Year, Removes Jonathan Majors' 'Magazine Dreams' From Calendar |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/disney-delays-snow-white-actor-strike-1235629856/ |access-date=October 27, 2023 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=October 27, 2023}} Following Majors' conviction for assault and harassment in December of that year, The Hollywood Reporter said it was "unlikely" that Searchlight would still release the film, either theatrically or direct-to-streaming.{{cite news|url = https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/jonathan-majors-magazine-dreams-searchlight-1235783599/|title = Jonathan Majors' 'Magazine Dreams' Unlikely to Get Searchlight Release After Star's Conviction|last1 = Couch|first1 = Aaron|last2 = McClintock|first2 = Pamela|date = January 10, 2024|accessdate = January 10, 2024|work = The Hollywood Reporter}}

In January 2024, it was reported that Searchlight had quietly returned the film rights to the filmmakers, so they could shop it to other distributors.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/jonathan-majors-magazine-dreams-leaves-searchlight-1235787320/ |title=Jonathan Majors' 'Magazine Dreams' Leaves Searchlight as Filmmakers Shop for New Home (Exclusive) |website=The Hollywood Reporter |first1=Borys |last1=Kit |first2=Aaron |last2=Couch |date=January 16, 2024 |access-date=January 17, 2024|archive-date=January 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240117002728/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/jonathan-majors-magazine-dreams-leaves-searchlight-1235787320/ |url-status=live}} In October 2024, Briarcliff Entertainment acquired domestic distribution rights to the film.{{cite web|title=Briarcliff Gives Jonathan Majors Sundance Drama 'Magazine Dreams' Chance To Flex On Big Screen|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Mike Jr|last=Fleming|date=October 2, 2024|access-date=October 2, 2024|url=https://deadline.com/2024/10/jonathan-majors-magazine-dreams-gets-theatrical-release-briarcliff-entertainment-1236105653/}} The film was released in the United States on March 21, 2025.{{cite web|title=Jonathan Majors' 'Magazine Dreams' Muscles Into March Release Date Through Briarcliff Entertainment|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Mike Jr|last=Fleming|date=December 18, 2024|access-date=December 18, 2024|url=https://deadline.com/2024/12/jonathan-majors-finally-flexing-briarcliff-march-21-magazine-dreams-release-1236209714/}}

In its opening weekend, the film grossed $701,365 at the box office.{{cite web |title=Domestic 2025 Weekend 12 |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/2025W12/ |access-date=March 25, 2025 |website=Box Office Mojo}} This was considered to be a disappointment, as the film's distributor had hoped that it would gross at least $1 million during its opening weekend.{{cite news |last=Goldsmith |first=Jill |date=March 23, 2025 |title='Magazine Dreams' Fails To Flex, 'October 8' A Standout With 'Secret Mall Apartment' – Specialty Box Office |url=https://deadline.com/2025/03/indie-film-box-office-magazine-dreams-jonathan-majors-october-8-1236347344/ |accessdate=March 24, 2025 |publisher=Deadline Hollywood}}

As of April 10, 2025, Magazine Dreams has grossed $1,161,880.

{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|80|7|142|consensus=Its dramatic form may get a little wobbly during certain reps, but Jonathan Majors' incredibly committed performance makes Magazine Dreams well worth a watch.|access-date=April 3, 2025|ref=y}} {{Metacritic film prose|65|34|ref=yes|access-date=April 3, 2025}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|https://www.magazinedreamsfilm.com}}
• {{IMDb title}}

Category:2023 films

Category:2023 drama films

Category:2023 independent films

Category:2020s American films

Category:2020s English-language films

Category:American drama films

Category:American independent films

Category:Bodybuilding films

Category:Casting controversies in film

Category:Films affected by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike

Category:English-language independent films

Category:Briarcliff Entertainment films