Jonathan Majors’ conviction for domestic violence has reportedly prompted Searchlight Pictures to permanently shelve the drama, Magazine Dreams.
According to reports, it looks like Searchlight Pictures may have permanently shelved Magazine Dreams, the Jonathan Majors-led bodybuilding drama that was due to be one of its key prestige films for 2023. Majors’ trial and eventual conviction for domestic violence has, according to sources, left the studio feeling that there is no way in which a release is viable.
While some have speculated that the film could skip a high-profile theatrical release and be placed ‘quietly’ on Hulu, the US streaming platform geared towards adult viewership, The Hollywood Reporter casts doubt on this possibility, citing sources that state that Disney’s ownership of both Searchlight and Hulu make this impossible. After all, Disney is first and foremost positioned as a family-friendly company and the idea of releasing a film led by somebody who has committed serious domestic violence (as Majors has) is unthinkable.
It’s also worth noting that the drama is said to feature themes of ‘personal violence’ too, so even those tempted to seek it out (if it were to be made available) might struggle to watch it given how the lines between fiction and reality might become blurred.
It’s an unfortunate situation for writer writer-director Elijah Bynum and other creatives who worked hard on a film that was geared to become a major awards contender. It has been argued that Searchlight may seek to recoup some of its financial losses by selling the film back to Bynum who could then attempt to release the film, but given that we now live in an age where films can be deleted as tax write-offs and costs recouped, we wonder if that’s an option that the studio might be considering too.
When we hear what the final fate of Magazine Dreams is, we’ll let you know, but at this point, it’s almost guaranteed that it won’t be appearing in cinemas, nor will it suddenly pop up on your Disney+.
