It took some time, but buzzy Sundance hit Magazine Dreams, featuring a profound performance from star Jonathan Majors, has landed at Searchlight Pictures.
Elijah Bynum wrote and directed the film about Killian Maddox, an aspiring bodybuilder who abuses steroids in his quest to become an icon in the field. Magazine Dreams premiered last month at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, earning a standing ovation from the in-person audience.
While the festival wrapped weeks ago, a bidding war broke out between winner Searchlight and Neon, HBO, and Sony Pictures Classics. Deadline, the first to break the news, didn’t report a final figure for the long-awaited deal.
“We are very proud to bring Elijah’s powerful film to the world,” Searchlight presidents Matthew Greenfield and David Greenbaum said in a joint statement. “Jonathan’s tour-de-force performance, both physically and emotionally, affected us in profound ways.”
The pair confirmed that additional release plans would follow at a later date.
In addition to playing the film’s lead, Majors serves as executive producer through his company Tall Street Productions. Halen Bennett, Taylor Paige, and Mike O’Hearn co-star.
Magazine Dreams joins mockumentary Theater Camp as Searchlight’s two high-profile acquisitions out of the festival. The independent studio paid over $8 million for the drama camp satire starring Ben Platt, Molly Gordon, and Noah Galvin.
