Donnie Darko director hints plans for a sequel

The plot of the psychological sci-fi drama is probably remembered by most people as rather surreal. The movie, starring Jake Gyllenhall, Jena Malone and Drew Barrymore, tells the story of the troubled title character's visions of a man in a rabbit suit who manipulates him into committing several crimes in order to prevent the end of the world. It was first released in 2001, written and directed by Richard Kelly.

When the original film was followed by the sequel S.Darko in 2009, it happened without Kelly’s involvement. He also didn’t approve the sequel, stating: “I haven't read this script. I have absolutely no involvement with this production, nor will I ever be involved.”

Now, Kelly hints there could be a more in the Donnie Darko franchise coming. Talking to HMV he said he has been working on “a lot of different projects” and plans to “be back behind a camera in 2017.” So, could those ‘different projects’ possibly involve a sequel of the sci-fi thriller? It seems so.

When he was asked about the future of the Donnie Darko franchise he replied: “I think there’s something much bigger and more ambitious to do in that universe. It’s big and expensive and I think there’s time to get to that. I want to make sure we’ve got the budget to do it justice and not to compromise anything. Another story in this world needs resources and we need to have that in place. I need to get my next film out of the gate and then we can go back and look at it.”

When Donnie Darko first premiered in the U.S. cinemas, it failed to attract a huge audience which was the reason it disappeared from the screens very soon after its start. Nevertheless, it gained highly positive reviews and after the DVD went for sale, the dark and highly abstruse plot caused interpretations and discussions around the film, which is why it soon developed a cult following.