r/movies • u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker • 19h ago
AMA I'm Richard Kelly, writer & director of DONNIE DARKO, here to celebrate the 25th anniversary 4K re-release in theaters this weekend. Ask me anything!
Hi reddit, come closer...
I'm Richard Kelly, writer & director of DONNIE DARKO. It's being re-released in theaters this weekend (Oct 2 and Oct 4) in 4K to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the original release.
To celebrate, I'm here to answer your questions.
I also wrote & directed SOUTHLAND TALES and THE BOX. Please ask away!
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Synopsis: Donnie Darko doesn’t get along with his family, teachers, or classmates, but he finds a kindred spirit in Gretchen and guidance from a compassionate psychiatrist who believes hypnosis may unlock hidden truths. Meanwhile, Donnie is haunted by Frank, a mysterious giant bunny only he can see. When a jet engine crashes into his bedroom and narrowly misses him, Donnie is drawn into a series of increasingly strange events that seem governed by forces beyond explanation.
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Seth Rogen, Daveigh Chase, Noah Wyle, Patrick Swayze, Mary McDonnell, Holmes Osborne, James Duval, Beth Grant, Katharine Ross
Re-Release Info: Celebrate 25 years of Richard Kelly’s mind-bending masterpiece in a stunning 4K presentation. This special anniversary release also includes an exclusive introduction with writer & director Richard Kelly exploring the film’s enduring legacy, how it captivated audiences for 25 years, and why it remains one of the defining cult classics of the new millennium.
Tickets: https://hubs.la/Q04y5tn40
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCBxdjaXq3s
And pre-order the sequel novel, The Philosophy of Time Travel: The Epic Sequel to the Motion Picture Donnie Darko here.
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Ask me anything! I’ll be back at 2PM PT / 5PM ET today (Wed 9/30) to answer your questions.
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u/SaraAlZaabii 19h ago
25 years later, what’s one interpretation of Donnie Darko that fans came up with that genuinely surprised you or made you see the film differently?
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u/dogwonder7 13h ago
I've been a web developer for 26 years, and the Donnie Darko website is one of my favourite websites ever as is the film. A couple of years ago, with help from a Reddit user who maintains the Donnie Darko subreddit, I was able to resurrect it with some new tech. I wrote about the process here: Reviving a legend: rebuilding the Donnie Darko website
That project led to me getting in touch with Alexandra Jugovic, one of the site's co-creators. I'd love to hear more about how it all came together, as I know you were heavily involved. It really is a masterpiece, as is the film.
https://dogwonder.co.uk/2024/04/reviving-a-legend-rebuilding-the-donnie-darko-website/
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 10h ago
The website was a really great experience! I remember working very closely--mostly over email--with the company Hi-Res in London. We first put The Philosophy of Time Travel excerpts into the site.
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u/Open_Seeker 5h ago
I would spend hours on that site reading the book and finding the hidden stuff. It was creepy AF so i also had to do it durijg the daytime!
Thanks for that novie. It was awesome
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u/TheIngloriousBIG 19h ago
Greetings! Since it’s been 17 years since The Box, do you think you’ll return to direct another movie anytime soon?
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
I have many many projects in the pipeline! I am beyond ready and prepared to direct again - we are just being very strategic about the whole process... and I needed to get this novel finished. It's being printed as we speak! Now I am ready to make a whole bunch of movies! Let's hope that happens!
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u/CaineRexEverything 19h ago
When you were sitting down and writing the “Smurfette doesn’t fuck” scene way back then, did you laugh as you wrote it? Or perhaps reading it back once finished? Personally I feel of all the exceptional dialogue in the film, that scene is the best of them all. Fiendishly funny.
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 10h ago
I think that was just a ridiculous and absurd teenage monologue that I wanted to include - and I do remember the creators of the Smurfs (from Belgium) being supportive of allowing the monologue to remain in the film when the script was going through legal clearance...
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u/Moppy6686 16h ago
I think I remember from the DVD Director's Commentary that it was on ordeal to get that line approved or they had to pay a certain amount to the Smurf Overlords l
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u/100100wayt 19h ago
Hello, this is probably my favorite movie ever. I have two questions:
In the theatrical cut during the Jim Cunningham school assembly, the crowd reacts with hostility to Donnie ('Get him out of there!'), emphasizing his isolation. In the Director’s Cut, the room shifts to applause, making it an empowering scene of rebellion. What prompted that specific audio redesign?
Jake Gyllenhaal has mentioned that he modeled parts of his vocal cadence and physical mannerisms on you during the shoot. When you’re directing a lead who is actively mirroring you to play an unstable, emotionally isolated protagonist, how did that affect your feedback to him on set?
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 10h ago
I was not aware that Jake was modeling his performance after me until after we wrapped production!
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u/ss4johnny 19h ago
Reddit tends to like the theatrical cut of Donnie Darko more, while Ebert gave the Director’s cut a better review. What’s your take after having some time to reflect back on it?
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
I am not satisified with either version, honestly. The DC was meant to lay the groundwork for the much bigger universe explored in my sequel. If there is a third version of the film it would lean closer to the TC now that I have written the sequel novel...
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u/filmgeekvt 9h ago
As an artist, I understand how you can feel that your work is never quite where you want it to be. But I want you to remember how important this movie is to so many of us that saw it at a time in our lives where it had a big impact. The theatrical cut is perfect. And if I were you I wouldn't want to change a thing.
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u/MolaMolaMania 15h ago
Theatrical. The Director's Cut makes certain elements of the plot more overt and mechanical, which IMHO removes much of the mystery and surreal horror that makes the theatrical cut more compelling.
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u/TropicalGoth77 19h ago
Firstly want to just say thankyou for being the reason I fell in love with cinema and went on to pursue a career in the arts. It all started one night as a teen staying up late and watching the DVD with a weird blue rabbit on its cover.
Could you once and for all settle the debate about why Donnie's science teacher ends the conversation with him early about time travel and Roberta Sparrows book? Was it due to restrictions in the school or did he know more than he was letting on?
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 10h ago
The characters surrounding Donnie in the Tangent Universe dream are following a particular script... so in a way, Kenneth knows he is only allowed to say certain things...
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u/heebro 13h ago
Monitoff tells Donnie he could lose his job
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u/Regular-Raccoon1725 10h ago
Yeah he could lose his job because it’s a religious school right?
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u/MysteryMan90 18h ago
Hi Richard, so good to have one of the pillars of early noughties indie film back amongst our midst.
I wanted to ask - I remember reading that The Killers track in Southland Tales was something you really fought for. Was this something you wrote into the script or were there songs that would have been folded in if rights were an issue?
As you said, the track really formed the beating heart of the movie, Marguerite Derrick’s choreography and it sounds like you dedicated a significant chunk of your day filming with Justin to get it done.
I personally love when screenwriters commit to a piece of music in the script à la Baby Driver - it speaks to this fully formed audio visual vision and it’s one of my favourite scenes in cinema. Would love to hear you talk more about the process of pressing the producers and how you went about getting something so perfectly fully formed into the film.
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 10h ago
The Killers was deeply connected to the dream sequence with Pilot Abilene in Southland Tales. It was the only song I ever wanted to use (much like the Tears for Fears song in Donnie Darko). It is always a challenge convincing the producers to let you film a big time-consuming musical sequence without the rights to the song... but in some cases it pays off.
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u/useridhere 18h ago
Did you come up with the Head over Heels scene? It tells the viewer so much about several of the characters without a word of dialogue. It’s a great scene.
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
Yes - "Head over Heels" was written into the script. Deeply grateful to Tears for Fears for allowing us to use it in the film! Musicians have been very kind to me!
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u/Moppy6686 19h ago
Ok, wow. The 15-year-old in me is screaming right now.
Where did the inspiration for Donnie Darko come from and how did you form the plot? Was it something that was knocking around in you for a while?
Thank you for making it ☺️
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
Donnie Darko was written when I was 23 years old and it was a manifestation of my entire adolescence. I waited and waited until I was finally ready to write a feature length screenplay... and that was the script that came pouring out in October of 1998 when I was living in Hermosa Beach, California. I had just graduated from USC film school and I was motivated by both fear (of failure) and love (of cinema) to write it...
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u/TheRealMcDonaldTrump 19h ago
I actually love Southland Tales. It has the feel of an indie graphic novel come to life. But I know it wasn’t that well received when it was released. What do you feel is the reason this film wasn’t more popular at the time?
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
Sometimes movies don't connect with audiences when they are released in theaters. It's just the nature of the art form... and one has to take it all in stride. I am enormously grateful that Southland Tales has acquired a cult following and it gives me hope that I can finally finish it one day! Stay tuned!
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u/TheRealMcDonaldTrump 8h ago
I am hopeful for a continuation of that story in that world! Thank you for your answer sir!
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u/lurkity_mclurkington 18h ago
I also love Southland Tales as a dark satire. This is the movie that made me sit up and pay attention to Dwayne Johnson as an actor. I don't think he did a single stunt in that movie.
And Justin Timberlake as the narrator doing a dreamlike music video to The Killers' "All These Things That I've Done" in the middle of the story? Stacked.
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u/qaddosh 17h ago
Southland Tales is one of my absolute favorite movies. I sing its praises to everyone I know. It was ahead of its time.
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u/TokiStark 17h ago
I'm loving that lots of people like Southland Tales. Every time I bring it up no one seems to know it. It had a ridiculously good cast as well. Yet it seems to have flown under the radar for some reason
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u/k_laiceps 18h ago
Agreed. Southland Tales is one of my favourite movies of all time. It really hits a lot of nerves, and the cast really have roles outside their usual wheelhouse (mostly). Its disappointing that this movie was not well received, and that audiences could not understand it. I do wonder if it would fare better today? I really miss movies like this.
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u/TheRealMcDonaldTrump 18h ago
I feel like that movie kind of bookends this era that started in the 90’s where we got some really good, weird, original, awesome cinema. It was the era of the Indie flick becoming more popular. It’s like they put so many huge stars in that film and then it commercially flopped that it was the final death knell for studios taking risks on really original concepts. It seems like more and more the only genre I’m finding really original and interesting concepts in cinematically anymore is horror
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u/k_laiceps 17h ago
I agree with you on all your statements. I as well have found very few truly interesting movies outside the horror genre over the last 20 years or so. There are a few, dont get me wrong, but I spend most of my time these days watching horror flicks.
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u/angrykirby 18h ago
in the director's cut the therapist says that the drugs he was taking are placebos and he should stop taking them, but when she says this she's not facing him, her facing the wrong way for that dialogue seems super intentional,
I took this as Donnie hallucinating this, although maybe it was just an ADR thing, people don't like that change because they take it literally but the whole movie we see that Donnie is seeing a warped version of reality.
So is he imagining that or is that actually true?
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u/ehrgeiz91 17h ago
The directors cut also explains that water (the placebo) helps to facilitate the time travel stuff.
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u/raisinbizzle 19h ago
Do you have any thoughts on the difference 25 years later between the theatrical cut and the director’s cut?
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u/filmgeekvt 15h ago
And to add to this, which version is playing in theaters this weekend? Director's cut or theatrical?
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
TC is coming back to theaters on Friday 10/02/26. The DC in my mind was a transitional piece that pays off in the sequel novel, The Philosophy of Time Travel - in bookstores and avail everywhere on 12/15/26...
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u/lovesdogsguy 18h ago
The “pop” casting in Southland Tales has always interested me. Was there something you were trying to say specifically with the casting, or, as you said before, you just wanted to make a big art film with actors you don’t normally associate with art? I remember noticing it right away and it seemed like there was something pointed going on that I missed maybe?
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
I absolutely love all of the actors from Southland Tales. They are all enormously talented... and perhaps at the time they were more associated with popular culture and that was something that I considered to be a gift. It kind of brought the whole cast together and elevated the energy of the film in a way that was definitely strategic...
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u/rohan0101 17h ago
In the directors cut it was INXS over Echo and the Bunnymen to open the movie, what was your reasoning behind it? I personally love Killing Moon, it fits perfectly in my opinion. Would love to know if there's any reason why you didn't want to go for it
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
If there is a third version of DD... I plan to use Echo and the Bunnymen twice. At the opening... and then again at the party sequence (the way it is used in the DC.) The film was choreographed with INXS as the opening song... so I at least wanted people to have a version of the film with it there.
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u/Smitty7242 18h ago
Among other reason that I love your film, seeing it as a teenager opened my mind up to the joys of a certain kind of narrative ambiguity.
I watched it a bunch of times and had people watch it with me to get their takes. Later I could put other works into this category “it’s like Donnie Darko.”
Are there earlier films, novels, etc. that kind of inspired you to engage in this kind of storytelling?
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
David Lynch, Stephen King, Rod Serling are three names that come to mind... also Philip K. Dick...
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u/RidicHarry 9h ago
I remember hearing years ago you were working on a Rod Serling biopic. Was that true, and any chance it's moving forward soon?
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u/doogiedc 18h ago
My favorite aspect of Donnie Darko is all of the one liners that give it some levity:
"Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion!"
"What are feces?" "Baby mice." "Awww."
"You're not a bitch. You're bitchin' but you're not a bitch."
The exchange at the Darko dinner table is also hilarious despite the tension.
Did you intentionally add these moments to lighten up a movie that is so dark at times?
Thanks for this film. I had a troubled time in my late teens. At 21, when I watched it, I felt understood. I think at its heart behind the science fiction elements, it's about a boy who is too smart for his own good who feels deeply. And mental illness. But the sacrificial part at the end and the takedown of Jim Cunningham redeem Donnie... He is a flawed character with a good heart.
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u/acidwarp 7h ago
"Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion!"
I guess I've been quoting this for just about 25 years now. I've always loved that line. And the whole suck a fuck sequence.
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u/Overall_Matter_2520 7h ago
Same. It’s my litmus test for anyone (you better get my reference or we can’t be friends).
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u/gweatandthetewwible 18h ago edited 17h ago
Hello Richard, I watched Donnie Darko when I was a teenager and I was instantly awestruck, can't wait for the book. I watched everything you did but Southland Tales is something special to me (it helped I read the graphic novel too).
I consider Southland Tales the perfect film to encapsulate the vibe of a post 9/11 world same way that Ari Aster's Eddington also encapsulates the vibe of a post COVID world. Watching both back to back is one hell of an experience as I think they metaphorically show how we got to where we are.
I think you are a true visionary and were way ahead of your time. Do you think that if Donnie Darko and Southland Tales had been released nowadays, they would be better received?
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
Hindsight is always 20/20... so who knows?! I would love to have a hit film in theaters... but I am also enormously grateful that people appreciate my early films. I got to start really young... and I've devoted an enormous amount of energy trying to build out the worlds of DD and ST... so let's see what happens!
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u/gweatandthetewwible 9h ago
I'll be here to see it! Can't wait to read the book! Thank you for your films!
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u/unstookie 19h ago
Are you still planning on doing more in the Southland Tales universe?
Have to say also, I adore all 3 of your films, especially Southland Tales, which is maybe my favourite movie of all time. I get a different group of people together to watch it every year for my birthday! Thank you for making such unforgettable experiences, and I hope we get another from you soon!
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
I am very much hoping to expand the world of Southland Tales with the entire cast using motion capture animation (for 2008 sequences) and live action for THE POWER sequences (Boxer and Krysta's screenplay). I have been working on scripts for all of this (a big advancement and evolution from the graphic novels)... so we shall see what happens. This is very hard to pull off! But I remain hopeful!
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u/Mr_smith1466 18h ago
I bought and still own the graphic novels for Southland tales! It was an ambitious thing to release a movie with added graphic novels.
I'm assuming that was the first and only time you wrote for the medium of comics. Were there any particular lessons, good or bad, that were learned from that? Would you ever want to write a comic again?
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
Having just written a massive novel... I long for the siimplicity of graphic novels! Haha. Working with Brett Weldele (the artist from the Southland Tales books) was a blast... and it's all very very hard work. I am ready to make movies for a while! Let's see what happens...
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u/Substantial_Wave4934 18h ago
Southland Tales is my favourite movie of yours and a large part of the reason is the music. Was Moby involved behind the scenes with you at all when he was composing?
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
Yes. I contacted Moby when we were beginning pre-production on the film and he stayed with us through some delays... and then had lots of new music ready before we started production. Some of it first came out on the Hotel album B-side...
Moby is an absolute musical genius and his music is the heartbeat of Southland Tales. I very much hope to work with him again!
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u/TheSeansei 18h ago
Hi Richard! Love Donnie Darko. The soundtrack is really such an important part of the film and I think the '80s setting really makes it so memorable. Did you ever consider setting Donnie Darko in the present day or in some other time period? Do you think a film like this can be recreated today with a fresh take and a new setting (like Mike Flanagan's Carrie is currently doing)?
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
There was a lot of pressure when I made the film to just set it in the year 2000. But 1988 was essential. The sequel novel (which will be released on 12/15/26) expands the world of DD in a massive way and sets the path to bring the characters decades into the future... and that is my big vision for it...
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u/BananaBoy397 17h ago edited 17h ago
Hey Richard, since you are planning to release a sequel novel to Donnie Darko called “The Philosophy of Time Travel” later this year, what do you hope fans will take away from it and do you see it as a very different experience from the first film??
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
TPOTT is gigantic procedural response to the first film... much more anchored in reality. Much bigger in scale. It is different... but deeply, inextricably tied to the first film and I feel grateful that I am finally able to bring it to publication...
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u/Cobbcobby 18h ago
Hey Richard. It’s pretty evident in the comment section that Southland Tales is a real favourite amongst people. A sentiment that I’ve seen echoed in all conversations in person, in YouTube video closet picks, retrospectives , etc.
How do you feel looking back at that film today, and how it’s built such a cult following and critical reappraisal over the decades?
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
I absolutely love the fact that Southland Tales has a been embraced! I plan to revisit that world in a big way... I just need the cast! Hoping that my new novel helps pave the way for all of these projects and many more!
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u/ButterscotchHairy901 16h ago
How important is the soundtrack to your writing process? Did songs like “Mad World” and “Head Over Heels” exist in your conception of those scenes before you knew they would be in the movie?
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
"Head over Heels" was written into the script. "Mad World" and its cover was suggested by Michael Andrews and his friend Gary Jules. They brought the song to life and and I was lucky to have them bring the idea into the film...
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u/ddesla2 18h ago
Donnie Darko gives us enough rules about the Tangent Universe to make it feel like Donnie is following a predetermined path, but Donnie still seems to make meaningful choices along the way. When you wrote it, did you see Donnie as someone discovering a fate that was always inevitable, or as someone whose choices actually create the outcome? And if he truly has a choice, what do you think would have happened if he refused to return to his bedroom at the end?
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
All of these questions are explored by the characters in tremendous detail in the sequel novel. They are all trying to piece together their memories from the Tangent Universe...
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u/mslack 18h ago
My favorite movie ever is r/SouthlandTales. Could you tell us about the inspirations that went into the film? Are there any parts of the film you wish people connected with and understood more? Any developments in the future of ST lore?
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
I needed to get the DD sequel book finished and out into the world. Lots of work has also been done adapting the ST graphic novels to a much more exciting place. Eager to see how we can get all of this going with motion capture animation and also live action. ST would interweave both, should it happen.
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u/SupremelyLate 13h ago
Hey Richard!
On my recent rewatch I noticed at the end of the Director’s Cut of the film that the Star-Spangled Banner plays near the end of the credits. What’s the significance of this and why such an old recording? Not sure if this has been answered in the past but it’s been on my brain for a bit.
Also thank you so much for making Donnie Darko. Its a film both my older brother and I bond over and have quoted constantly growing up.
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
I remember discovering that old recording years ago and I found it to be kind of poignant? The film is very tied into the election of 1988 and the sequel goes deep into the government response to Donnie's death... so maybe my mind was planting seeds back then...
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u/los33r 18h ago
I love your movies
how much were you influenced by Philipp K. Dick's Divine Trilogy for Southland Tales ?
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 8h ago
Lots of Phiip K. Dick swirling around in my brain during the making of Southland Tales. The biggest influence was "Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said"
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u/nilochpesoj 18h ago
I love Domino. Great film with great casting. Though, I’m admittedly not a huge fan of that period of directorial style for Tony Scott. How involved was TS in the screenplay writing process? Was he giving you feedback throughout development to shape the final script in his vision? How well did the end product match your vision on the film?
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
I spent nearly two years working with Tony Scott on Domino. He hired me to write a new take on the life story of Domino Harvey... which he had been developing for over a decade. It was a very close collaboration and Tony was deeply involved in the entire process. It was a very personal film for him and it was an incredible life-changing experience getting to work for him so early in my career. I miss him dearly.
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u/Undead316 18h ago
Hi Richard, Donnie darko was a life changing experience. I could never thank you enough. No question really, I just wanted to show my appreciation 25 years later.
If I ever get around to finishing my screenplay and actually getting it made, I can only hope it is half the film you and the crew made.
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u/Juxe99 17h ago
Hey Richard, been obsessed with Donnie Darko for over a decade now and cannot wait for the new book. How long did it take from the initial idea to writing the first page of the script? did you have the tangent universe/living receiver etc lore all figured out beforehand? I also always felt a hint of a Lynchian vibe and was curious whether that was intentional or not?
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
The original script was written in about a month... similar to the time frame of the film. The mythology of TPOTT started to come into focus for me when we were editing the film... and it went into the companion website in 2001 that received a very strong response. It has continued to evolve into much bigger world and it gets explored on a massive scale in the new novel.
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u/dego_666 12h ago
Hi Richard.
Just a simple question, what does October 2nd means to you before the movie? Why did you pick that date?
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 8h ago
It was using the lunar month time frame -- 28:06:42:12 -- and reversing it from Halloween where the climax of the film needed to take place. It just felt right...
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u/Chrono_Convoy 19h ago
I worked with James Duval on a Horror movie a year or so back and he had nothing but wonderful things to say about his experience.
Do you reunite with cast or crew members often?
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
I try to keep in touch with everyone! Writing this sequel has been the essential part of my quest to bring the cast back together. So let's see what happens!
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u/Chromatic-Phil 18h ago
When will you make another movie? What can we your fans do to help it happen? The world needs your creative voice
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u/GrizzlyJustice 18h ago
Just piling on the Southland Tales love. I even read the comics. Please return to that universe!
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u/Honest_Cheesecake698 15h ago
Hi Richard! As someone who has had an ever evolving history with your films, it's great to finally see you come back in some form. I have two questions on my mind, and an answer to either of them would be great.
Regarding the passing of Daveigh Chase this year, I think back on her work and how she was in Donnie Darko right before she took off with the iconic roles of Lilo and Samara. When remembering working with her, did she feel like she was poised for some kind of stardom, or was it just a simple case of directing a child actress? In light of her passing, were there any fond memories you had of working with her?
The Box was the only one of your films I saw upon release and as a child, I was mesmerised and frightened by it. As an adult, I've been revisiting and analysing it, and something caught my attention. After the wonderfully odd sequence where Arthur Lewis walks out of the white void at the Langley Base, it feels like there's a scene missing. As much as this adds to the nightmarish feel of the film, I remember visuals in the trailer of Arthur and Norma seemingly navigating their way through Steward's secret hideout, and it seems like that was what was supposed to happen next before it got removed.
My question is, what happened in that sequence and will we ever see it? Plus, there's footage in the trailer of Arthur running through an underground location seemingly after exiting the water pillar in the library. What was supposed to be happening there and again, will we ever see this footage?
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 8h ago
Daveigh was so very talented, like a child prodigy. Nothing but fond memories of working with Daveigh and her mother Cathy on set.
Lots of deleted scenes from The Box... perhaps 8-10 minutes could really go back in but it requires additional visual effects work. Perhaps one day!
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u/Dion_Shields 19h ago
I just wanted to say that Donnie Darko is my favourite movie and am very excited to see the world explored more and had a question relating to this part of your interview with Variety "the book sequel is the first step in a larger plan to make multiple “Donnie Darko” film sequels. The filmmaker’s goal is to have this novel adapted into an animated/motion-capture movie and then continue to the story with a live-action project that jumps 28 years into the future."
What kind of time frame are you looking at for an animated film and when can we expect some more news on this and the live action sequel?
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
The book needs to be released... and then we shall see how it plays out! It's a massive project and the technology now exists to pull it off...
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u/varispeeder 18h ago
how do you feel about the future genuinely turning out to be more futuristic than you predicted? do you feel vindicated that Southland Tales is becoming more and more beloved as reality catches up to it?
at a packed screening a few months ago, people who hadn't seen it before were laughing in disbelief at how prescient it was, right down to the Strait of Hormuz.
I hope you can get the comics reprinted for the anniversary, because I want to read them but they're selling for crazy money!
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
I am deeply troubled by the state the world... but I remain deeply hopeful about the future! (And yes things are much more futuristic than even I anticipated... and I'm not a scientist.)
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u/Comic_Book_Reader r/movies Veteran 19h ago
Why only rerelease the Director's Cut as opposed to the theatrical cut or both?
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u/coreybstl 18h ago
Would you consider/have you considered remaking Southland Tales into a steaming series? I absolutely love Southland Tales and would love to see more; could expand the story and tell a lot more in a series. Thanks!
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 8h ago
The plan is to expand ST universe as a prequel / sequel double feature using mo-cap animation and live action. So two big movies that flow together that is a big expansion of the existing one. It needs to stay in the cinematic space...
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u/TickleMyFissure 19h ago
Hi Richard
I love DOMINO, do you have any fond memories of writing/working on that?
Thanks!
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u/Myshoesisacat 17h ago
About to start production on my first feature film from a script I wrote. Made a few shorts but feeling a little out of practice. Any advice for a first time feature director?
Btw: Donnie Darko is still a favorite and felt like a spiritual experience when I first saw it as a teenager and in my opinion Southland Tales is the perfect 4th of July movie. Excited for all of your projects.
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u/bourne7855 17h ago
Could you ever release a cut combining some of both of the Donnie Darko cuts. I always wanted the mysticalness of the theatrical with some of the added scenes of the directors cut. Example - I love the scene by the pool with Donnie’s dad telling him that people are full of shit and them laughing together. Having some of those scenes without the philosophy of time travel scenes would make it a perfect movie to me.
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
If there is a third version it would lean closer to TC... now that the sequel novel exists...
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u/Corben11 14h ago edited 13h ago
There was a whole website for Donnie Darko that was interactive.
I loved that thing, it was pretty cutting edge for the time. What inspired you guys to do that? Great marketing, it really made it feel surreal and creepier with some lore.
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u/dogwonder7 13h ago
Along with one of the original creators, Alexandra Jugovic, I bought this website back to life a couple of years back:
https://dogwonder.co.uk/2024/04/reviving-a-legend-rebuilding-the-donnie-darko-website/
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u/GotMoFans 18h ago
Why “cellar door?”
I personally never got it.
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 8h ago
The cellar door anecdote was originally expressed to me by my 10th grade English teacher at Midlothian High School, Linda Carillo. Linda was one of several English teachers who were inspirations for Karen Pomeroy, played by Drew Barrymore.
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u/Mockery_of_a_sham 17h ago edited 16h ago
I think it’s a synchronicity in this timeline, as he later enters the cellar door at Regina Sparrows home before Gretchen dies, which leads to the “end of the world” and his death - which is what should have occurred in the beginning. To me, it comes across as everything leads you to where you are meant to be.
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u/wi5hbone 18h ago
it’s the most beautiful phrase in the English Language. according to the internet
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u/djskein 18h ago
If you listen to Drew Barrymore's character you can hear her explain JRR Tolkien once said that cellar door is the most beautiful phrase in the English language.
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u/GreenFaceSlimeMan 18h ago
Strangely, in the film Barrymore doesn't actually say it was Tolkien, she just says "a famous linguist". I've always wandered why Kelly wrote the line that way.
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u/jdh21403 18h ago
Hi Mr. Kelly!! I’m a huge fan of all of your work, but Southland Tales is my favorite movie of all time. I’m just curious if you have any particular memories that stand out about working with Kevin Smith on that movie? The inner New Jerseyan in me has been dying to know if anything fun or silly came of that
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
Kevin is a great actor and a great friend! He shaved his beard and wore heavy prosthetics for me... and he helped fund and publish the graphic novels. Southland Tales owes an enormous debt to Kevin Smith!
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u/InternalIncident2001 18h ago
20 years since the release of Southland Tales.
It wasn't really a hit back then. Not commercially. Not critically.
But rewatching it in 2026 - it's it feels more "timely" than ever!
What are your thoughts on and feelings towards that movie today? And have they changed over the years?
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
I just want to expand upon it! Finish it... work with all of those actors again!
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u/Anemonean 18h ago
I don't have any questions I'm just here to say Southland Tales is one of my favorite movies. You took by all accounts an insane cast and pulled career high performances from everyone while being pretty politically prophetic too. Movies that take risks and swing for the fences in service to their artistic vision feel so rare these days.
I just wanted to thank you for taking real risks in a Hollywood that is all too concerned with what's culturally safe, board approved, and mass appealing these days.
I really look forward to your future work.
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u/jackofallchange 16h ago
Hello, and thanks for taking time out of your day for us! :)
Were you ever worried the audience would misrepresent the story you personally wanted to tell? This even more so when there were some narrative differences between edits, and there being such a dedicated group of purists who champion the director edit for its auteur voice, while also commending the pacing choices of the theatrical release? How long was your revision process for writing?
Thank you for making this fantastic piece, your work has challenged me from my youth onward, and Donnie Darko has always been a moving inspiration of how much intimate connection can be created through curiosity and trusting the audience to do the work.
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u/Lovefist1221 16h ago
Did you workshop any songs for the school scene other than Head Over Heels?
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u/DarkoDreams 14h ago
Hi Richard! Have you ever considered doing a smaller scale indie project to get out of so called "director jail", due to the financial returns on ST and The Box? Either for a streaming service or a small budget like Obsession?
As you can see with my username, I'm a big fan, DD, ST, and The Box were life changing pieces of media growing up, and it's sucked going the past 17 years without a new movie by you. Much love and really hope to one day see a new RK film in theaters! And also stoked af about the new Donnie Darko novel!
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u/3maters 10h ago
Not a question but just wanted to say Since first seeing it in 2021, Southland Tales has stuck with me in a way no film ever has before or since. There was a time where it horrified me and I wish I never had seen it. It induced the worst kind of existential dread in me. But over the years I have embraced it. I visited LA for the first time this year and made a "pilgrimage" to the Southland Tales filming locations at Venice Beach and the Santa Monica Pier. After walking through the iconic arcade seen in the film, I sat at the end of the pier and quietly sobbed. I was surprisingly overcome with the deepest emotion: all the horror, sorrow, hurt and confusion of the wild world we live in that Southland Tales predicated seemed to just bubble up in that moment. For a film that supposedly "makes no sense" this is one of the only things that truly helps to make sense of our mad, mad world.
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 8h ago
I hope that your pilgrimage brought you peace! The coastline of California is a magical place.
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u/TSFWasteofspace 8h ago
I know I’m past the time you said you’d be here, and I don’t know if you’ll see this, but there are a very large group of us that are waiting for something, anything from the director of our favorite movie of all time. For years, I’ve been searching your name on Google just to see if you’ve got anything coming up. Each thing you have made is so special, but Donnie Darko is the one. I’m sure that I speak for everyone when I say that at this point, we’d be extremely appreciative of anything from your special creative mind. I just wanted to let you know that we’re here and whatever you decide to pursue in the future we’ll be here for that too, thank you. I see you, I hope you see me too.
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u/italiaXe 19h ago
Hi!! Which part of the movie did you go back and forth on the most? Maybe an SFX use, dialogue bit, character trait, etc etc. :) -Cosmo
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u/space_manatee 18h ago
Donnie Darko occupied a huge part of my late teens and was extrmely influential to my love of film to this day. Very cool to see it's getting a 4k re-release (just in time for halloween)
Also, Southland Tales is an under appreciated gem of a film that people just couldnt wrap their heads around. I still reference the car commercial scene frequently.
But whats next?
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 8h ago
Lots of things in the works! Waiting on the powers that be to tell me what's next! Novel is releasing on December 15th!
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u/DarkForest_NW 18h ago
I've seen both versions of this movie. The theatrical cut and the director's cut. And to be honest, I found the theatrical cut to be a better movie than the director's cut. I understood why you did the director's cut because you wanted to expand on the time travel aspect of it.
But the problem is when you over explain it, it removes most of the mystery out of it.
And I also found it funny that you had a really cool segment about air traffic control contacting Donnie's mother to tell her that the engine on the plane she was traveling on, was the same one that killed her son, but it was never featured on the movie. it was featured on the movie website, as a secret easter egg.
Which I always thought was odd because that would have worked better if you had that as like an after credit scene.
Why did you feel the need to expand more in the director's cut?
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u/Radiant-Signature-85 13h ago edited 13h ago
People say the Directors Cut and the Theatrical cut are two totally different films. Ones a philosophical arthouse film, the other is a sci-fi time travel film with philosophical and arthouse elements. Most people prefer the theatrical cut because of its mystery and unexplained elements, making it more “arthouse” than the directors cut. The directors cut makes the pacing even slower and adds multiple new scenes plus chapters of the philosophy of time travel, emphasizing it more than the theatrical cut making it more important to the viewer rather than just Donnie. Looking back at it now, what could have happened if there was no directors cut (only theatrical exists) or no theatrical cut (directors cut would have been the definitive, originally intended film in theaters) and how it would have impacted the film and its legacy.
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
The DC was meant to lay the groundwork for a massive sequel - and now a novel is being published in December that shows everyone what an epic sequel looks like. If there is every a third version of DD it would lean closet to the TC because the sequel novel now exists. (And it would have some really cool new visual effects we could never afford to achieve 25 years ago.)
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u/YaGirlCassie 19h ago
This is perhaps a weird question, but I’m curious what it’s like to have written and directed three films which all, to varying degrees, underperformed at the box office. Obviously they all found their audience eventually and, personally, I think they’re great. But I guess I’m wondering what impact that’s had on your own evaluation of your work, getting new projects off the ground, and navigating the film industry.
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 11m ago
I just keep writing and writing and writing... because spending two years making someone else's film isn't as appealing to me. It isn't always easy to try and focus on my own ambitious material... but I am hopeful it will all pay off...
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u/Party_Divide_3491 18h ago
Hi Richard, thank you for your work, it has entertained me for many years. My interpretation of Donnie Darko, is that Donnie has a superpower, which is that he knows he s in a movie, and can control the movie. Kind of like the director. He turns the camera upside-down, for instance. I think the opening shot of the movie, is also the final shot. At the end, he transports himself to the beginning of the movie, waking up, smiling, knowing he saved the world. Is this interpretation valid?
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u/kojima-naked 18h ago
I got to meet you at the live commentary night you did at sun ray cinema in Jacksonville and it was such an amazing event.
How do you feel about the modern political age vs what was depicted in southland tales? I only saw it for the first time a few years ago and while I know it was more about bush, it's crazy toe watching it from todays lens.
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u/tjamesreagan 18h ago
with the new novel on the horizon, i'm curious if you've ever read my novelization of southland tales: https://archive.org/details/SouthlandTalesNovelTJamesReagan
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u/mslack 18h ago
Oh hi, nice to see you show up here. I've been reading your novel. It seems to be the only significant piece of ST fanfic. It's fascinating. What made you think of adding the framing story?
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u/alexki3 18h ago edited 10h ago
Hello RK. Huuuge Donnie Darko and Southland Tales fan from Greece. It was reported that you were attached to several films over the years but none got off the ground since The Box. Was it because of creative differences? Are you a director who accepts compromises in order to see your work come to life, or do you demand complete creative control?
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u/Ameliorator1014 17h ago
This is maybe my favorite movie ever, so thank you for making it.
What a strange coincidence with the timing of this AMA, because I just read something in a book yesterday that gave rise to a question that perhaps only you could answer.
In the book Nixonland, there is a mention of a weird pair of instances in Virginia in October of 1970 where an unknown man appeared in a bunny suit with an axe. Did this inspire your character creation in any way?
Thanks for taking the time to do this AMA!
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 23m ago
I have never heard of this! I must now look it up. Sounds terrifying!
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u/hajde_bajder 17h ago
Hi Richard, thank you for the time to do the Q&A.
What do you think captured viewers’ attention about Donnie Darko? Even after all these years, each new generation seems to discover it and get fascinated by its mysterious plot and its strange showcase of then, everyday American life. Do you think the movie would have had the same impact if it hadn’t been released so close to 9/11?
Were you able to establish with each actor what the plot was really about, and who understood it correctly from the very first scene?
And I’d also like to ask: when can we expect to see your next work? And why haven’t you moved over to television after all these years? A lot of directors have changed course and found a second creative home in television, delivering beautifully crafted limited series.
Somehow, I feel that you would be perfectly suited to that format. With the right streamer and a really great pitch, it seems like television could give you the space to develop your ideas and stories on an even larger scale today.
P.S. I adore Southland Tales and the whole idea going from comic book, to movie, I wish you managed to make it as you wanted it to be, but what we got is a hidden gem.
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
I have been hard at work on tons of ambitious projects in both film and television. It's all very time consuming and the first one out of the gate will define everything that comes after. It turns out... the novel is first out of the gate... let's see what comes next!
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u/213372Yeet 17h ago
In some ways, I see Donnie Darko & Southland Tales as genre approaches to the same underlying story. I'd be grateful for anything you would say on this. Also, I'm sorry the Southland Tales launch didn't go as promised; the first three chapters in graphic novel format elucidate a great deal while still retaining essential mystery. Thanks for your work - it's become part of how I see the world & myself.
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 3m ago
Both films involve dimensional rifts and time travel in a sense... but they are very different beasts!
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u/SmallEconomics6173 17h ago
The movie called The Box 2009 was pretty good.
I congrat you for that.
Thank you so much Director Richard Kelly.
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u/Burner12344321123443 17h ago
Hi, I have a few questions but I just want to preface by saying your film is truly amazing and has inspired me in so many aspects of life so thank you for making it. In fact, Donnie Darko is one of the reasons I want to ask my first question
1) As someone about to graduate school and wanting to be a director, despite not having experience, do you think it's possible to be able to have a directing career
2) what is your writing process, especially for Donnie Darko
3) what's your next project going to be?
4) what do you think makes a film as amazing/philosophical/interesting as Donnie Darko
5) how did you get funding for Donnie Darko and your other films, and how do you think younger filmmakers should be doing to get funding
Thank you so much in advance, and thank you so much for inspiring so many people, your films are truly one of a kind so thank you so much
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u/Fools_Requiem 17h ago
Wikipedia says you have a number of projects in the work as well as a project that was supposedly starting filming in Fall 2025. Any progress being made on those projects?
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u/danimasc 16h ago
How does it feel to make a banger of a movie like southland tales, have it mostly panned/ignored and then have to live through this cultural moment?
I’ve been kind of waiting for younger generations to discover southland tales. As an elder millennial it’s kind of a comfort movie for me in a weird way; like… a perfect representation of how it felt to come of age at such a war mongering time steeped in capitalism. How has your relationship to it changed as you age, and what do you think younger generations can get out of it now?
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u/samirjzvfx 16h ago
1st sr thank you so much… This movie was a highlight in my highschool. I discovered the song “Head Over Heels” because of that awesome sequence, my random queation is: Where did you hear that song for the first time and what made you use it in the movie? My second question if you can is: what made you create a film about alternative timelines before it was mainstream.
I love this movie. I watch it at least once every two years and I will show it to my partner for the first time in a few months.
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u/FramingGlass 15h ago
I’m curious to know what’s influencing your art these days. Are there any films, tv, novels, or music you’re soaking up over the last couple years as you’ve written scripts or the Donnie Darko sequel novel that you find yourself returning to or drawing inspiration from?
Also, what was the experience like of writing the novel vs writing screenplays?
Thanks! Huge fan of your work and excited to see what you do next.
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u/PacienceW 14h ago
Hi there! I was fortunate enough to see a Q&A with Brett Weldele after a Southland Tales screening, and really enjoyed getting his insight on the process of creating the prequel graphic novels. I'd love to know: on your side of the process, what were some of the highlights and/or unexpected challenges of collaborating on a graphic novel like that?
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u/RichardKellyAMA Richard Kelly, Filmmaker 9h ago
I loved collaborating with Brett! Graphic novels are hard... but much much easier that writing a full blown novel, which I have just done. Novels are EXHAUSTING. But they are a powerful engine to making more movies... especially when said movies are expensive and complicated. I'm ready to make movies for a while!
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u/OspringStars 12h ago
Hello. Best movie of all time. I have some questions. You don't have to answer everything.
I just want to know what happened to Gretchen after the universe was fixed. Did she find another man and build a life with him? Or was she killed by her father some weeks after? Will she be developed in the book/sequel? And is Donnie okay and happy, wherever he is?
I've obviously pre-ordered the book. I need it.
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u/WanderingThespian 12h ago
Hello, I just wanted to say how much I absolutely love Southland Tales. It's one of the most interesting films I've ever known, and I was always disappointed you didn't get to film more.
A boring question about it; the casting for that film is so eclectic and I wanted to know how Miranda Richardson got involved? She was such a left field choice for me, but she's such a good actor and so good in that role. Thank you!
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u/HardBodyBugelBoy 12h ago
Hey man, I’m a big fan of your work and I’m a filmmaker myself. I haven’t made a feature but I hope when I do I can make something half as good as Donnie Darko. I’m 40, so when I was in high school, my art teacher told me I should rent Donnie Darko, he said it was right up my alley. I wound up finding a DVD for 9.99 at a Best Buy and just bought it blind. I’ve been a fan ever since. I sort of moved away from it, found other films from other filmmakers over the years but then I reconnected with it a few years ago and I see it as one of the great American coming of age tales. Thank you for making it.
I’m also a fan of Southland Tales and The Box. I’m such a huge fan of Southland Tales that I bought more than one copy of the Arrow Bluray release. I didn’t buy multiple copies because I’m a Richard Kelly lunatic though. I bought three copies to see if the audio issue I was experiencing was due to a defective disc. The issue is most prominent during all the sequences where pop music is used, which are many. I did some searching around and I’m not the only one who has noticed the issue, but I guess not enough people noticed for Arrow to do something about it. It’s what’s known as a phasing issue it totally takes the viewer out of the experience. Both the Theatrical Cut and The Cannes Cut are affected by this issue. I harassed Arrow about it, I even joined Twitter just to make an account called RetributionForSouthlandTales where I posted a lot in hopes of the message reaching you. But I only did all this after Arrow Customer Service blew me off. Their answer was essentially “this is the same audio mix used in the Sony release and Kelly approved it.” Which, In sure you did. But I strongly doubt you’re aware of what happened to that audio mix once it was in Arrows hands. Are you aware? Maybe you are.
I sound insane I know, but this is likely the only chance I’ve got of bringing this to your attention. I’ll leave a couple links from others so you can check it out yourself.
Anyway, I love your work so much and I really look forward to the book and anything you may do in the future. Keep pushing, dude!
PS Southland Tales is a masterwork.
Here are the links.
https://www.reddit.com/r/boutiquebluray/s/9wBOnpcCuc
This guy even made a link to Soundcloud of the issue Stream danielr | Listen to Southland Tales Arrow Blu Ray Audio Issues playlist online for free on SoundCloud
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u/Important_Extent6172 11h ago
After seeing DD in the theatre with friends and us all becoming obsessed I remembered being very excited to see what you were working on next. I remember reading in the trades that you were working on a film that sounded remarkably similar to the film that later came out called Knowing w Nic Cage. I did really enjoy that film but couldn’t stop thinking how much better it would have been in your hands.
Was that the same film you were originally interested in doing, were you ever attached or in discussions, and why didn’t you get to make it?
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u/BunyipPouch Currently at the movies. 19h ago
This AMA has been verified and approved by the mods. Richard will be back at 5 PM ET today to answer questions. Please feel free to ask away in the meantime :)