Jonathan Majors is an aspiring bodybuilder whose determination pushes him toward self-destruction in Magazine Dreams, which received its first trailer from Briarcliff Entertainment.
Majors stars as Killian Maddox, a man who will do whatever it takes to become the next great bodybuilder of his generation. Maddox’s obsession has negatively affected his personal life as he’s unable to form meaningful connections with others. The dream of posing for magazines takes its toll on Killian, both physically and mentally. Is Killian willing to risk his livelihood to achieve this lofty goal?
“You have to do something big and important, or nobody will remember you when you’re dead,” Killian says in the trailer.
Besides Majors, Magazine Dreams stars Haley Bennett, Taylour Paige, Mike O’Hearn, Harriet Sansom Harris, and Harrison Page as Killian’s ailing grandfather.
Written and directed by Elijah Bynum, Magazine Dreams premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival to a positive reception, with many critics predicting Majors’ performance will garner significant Oscar buzz. After a competitive bidding war, Searchlight Pictures acquired distribution rights to the film and scheduled a December 2023 release.
In October 2023, Searchlight pulled Magazine Dreams from its release schedule due to the assault allegations against Majors. After Majors was convicted of two misdemeanor counts of assault and harassment in December 2023, Searchlight returned the film rights to the filmmakers to shop for other distributors. During that time, Marvel Studios fired Majors from all future projects.
As Kang the Conqueror, Majors was set to become the MCU’s next major villain and headline Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. After Majors’ dismissal, Marvel pivoted creatively and cast Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom.
In October 2024, Briarcliff Entertainment acquired domestic distribution rights to Magazine Dreams. The sports drama is now scheduled to be released on March 21, 2025.
