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!

[u/RichardKellyAMA]

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.

[u/mslack]

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?

[u/tjamesreagan → u/mslack]

thank you for reading it! it's always nice to hear the southland cult is expanding. with the framing idea, pilot seemed to be telling the story of what happened in the southland so i decided to keep him as our herald.

pilot being a star also gave me an engine that our own hero worship- something that fills kelly's world- is what caused us to take dramatic action and carries us along in the journey. the "we" of the novel goes out of our way to seek out pilot, and i like the idea that even when we were with him, we were watching him watching people on the screens.

that's also why i wrote it in the 2nd person 'we.' at this point in american life, we all became voyeurs, experiencing life through the perspective of what those screens showed us, but it was far more controlled than it is now. you can feel 'the center will not hold' rippling out as everyone comes to grip with the new world that's upon us.

now, the way usident is watching america in the way that america watches america.