The article contains details about assault and harassment.
The Briarcliff CEO has revealed why his distributor is still releasingMagazine Dreams.The upcoming film tells the story of Jonathan Majors' amateur bodybuilder who confronts his past and pushes his physical limits to gain recognition for his craft.Magazine Dreamsiswritten and directed by Elijah Bynum, and the cast features Harrison Page, Taylour Paige, and Harriet Sansom Harris. The film was originally supposed to be distributed by Searchlight, whodropped the project when Majors was convicted of assaulting and harassing his girlfriend.
Per theWall Street Journal, Briarcliff CEO Tom Ortenberg addressed taking on the film. Ortenberg argues Majors “paid his dues,” and said thatMagazine Dreamswas “a brilliant movie with a brilliant actor.” Later in the report, it was noted that Ortenberg and his team at Briarcliffdid not have to pay anything upfront to get rights toMagazine Dreams, but needed to cover the costs of marketing and distribution, which Ortenberg described as “a couple million bucks to get it out there and see what we have on our hands.” Check out the quote from Ortenberg below:
He’s paid his dues, the process was served. Here’s a brilliant movie with a brilliant actor. We see no reason to hesitate.
you may decide if it’s worthy of your time and 20 bucks. but what I believe in very strongly is that this film should be allowed to be seen.
What This Means For Magazine Dreams
Magazine Dreams Has A Fraught History
The new movie was originally shot for $10 million in 2022 before Majors' arrest.Magazine Dreamsreceived positive reviewsat the Sundance Film Festival in January 2023, where it won the Special Jury Prize. Just two months later,Majors would go on to be arrested for assault and was sentenced in April 2024. This would hurt Majors, who was dropped by Disney after entering the MCU. While Searchlight abandoned the film, Briarcliff would scoop up the movie’s rights in the summer of 2024.
Jonathan Majors played Kang the Conquerer inAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniaand was supposed to be in more MCU films before his assault conviction.
Given the nature of Majors' conviction, Briarcliff’s decision was controversial. This controversy could either drive away or bring in audiences, which Ortenberg partially addresses by saying, “you can decide if it’s worthy of your time and 20 bucks.” Ortenberg is not exactly encouraging audiences to go see the movie, buthis company’s commitment to its release suggests they still think the movie is viable. The report also mentions that the Black programming-focused platform Zeus helped market the film and will stream it after its theatrical run.
Our Take On The Magazine Dreams Release
Its Box Office Will Tell The Story
Whether Ortenberg is right that “the process was served” will be highlighted by how wellMagazine Dreamscan do in theaters. It is releasing this weekend, March 21, on the same day as Disney’sSnow White, thus seeing Majors competing against the very studio that previously dropped him. IfMagazine Dreamsdoes well, it will be an interesting testament to how a “cancelled” person can overcome a major personal barrier in their career.
