Donnie Darko 3 in Development?

Posted by on June 15th, 2009   Filed under: Rumours, Sci-fi, Thriller
Source: Bloody Disgusting

donniedarko3

As I mentioned in my S. Darko review last week, I don’t think that Donnie Darko was ever really meant to become a franchise. The original film works very well as a self-contained story, and considering how it ends, there’s not a lot of room for continuation. Still, when there’s money to be made, there’s always a way, and somehow they managed to produce a low budget direct-to-DVD sequel anyway by focusing on characters that no one cares about, and tacking on the “Darko” name. Considering all the negative reviews that S. Darko has received, you’d think that Fox would have gotten the message, but no — apparently now there is talk of a third Donnie Darko film happening as well.

Bloody Disgusting claims to have heard rumour of another Donnie Darko film heading into development over at 20th Century Fox. While they don’t have anything more substantial to offer as of yet, there is supposedly a possibility that Richard Kelly may be involved this time around. I don’t know what to say except that it’s sad to see Donnie Darko being reduced to the level of, say, The Butterfly Effect (which also spawned two DTV sequels). While it’s true that Richard Kelly’s name is probably the only thing that could save a third film, I fear that if he does decide to return to the franchise it may only be an indication of his own desperation. I am still looking forward to his next film The Box (which comes out in October), but it’s been delayed quite a bit and I really hope it doesn’t turn out to be another Southland Tales. Would you be interested in another Donnie Darko film if Richard Kelly was involved, or should they just leave it alone?



  • Rick

    LEAVE IT ALONE!!!!!

    first one, one of my favorite movies

    the second one, an insult to the original film. Richard kelly or not, you’d have to have one hell of a cast to do what the first one did.

  • TheGuyInThePJs

    I call Bull$hit… Kelly has said many times that he’d NEVER be part of a sequel to his original “Darko”.

    This is just crap being thrown around to get fans amped up. Anyone taking bets that Kelly will clear this matter up via Myspace very soon?

  • Matt

    Please don’t make this.

  • Mitch

    I hate Donnie Darko anyways, so if people like them, make them, but if they don’t, don’t.

  • Goon

    if the Box fails (and even if it doesnt) I think I’d like to see Kelly get into making music videos. Both of his movies already heavily have that feel.

  • Tom

    Donnie Darko is my favourite film. I don’t plan on watching S. Darko or the third one if it ever gets made, I don’t see the point in ruining a great film.

  • James

    If he makes a third one, i will personally hate him for ever…. The second one was the stupidest movie in the world.. The paradox was all wrong anyway. If he does make a third one, it should be about Donnie, he should have never died in the first place, it would at least make it interesting if he brings Donnie back into it.

  • Sean

    Dude You Guys Are Forgetting Richard Kelly Is Probably Not Going To Add On To The Darko Family But Most Likely A New Character A New Story Line A New Problem With The Tangent Universe And There Might Not Even Be A Halloween Suit Like Frank Im Sure Richard Will Change To A New Story With His Same Rules In The Fake Book “The Philosophy Of Time Travel” I Have Faith In You Richard!

  • Sean

    And Why The Hell Would He Bring Donnie Back That Was Part Of The Films Emotion You Fucking Twat

  • Sam

    yes the death of donnie was part of the films emotion but S. Darko was terrible and i agree, i think it could easily make the third a good one if they found a way to bring donnie back.

  • Phil

    If Richard Kelly is involved, yes I’ll see the movie in the cinema. BUT, it MUSN’T be a sequel to s.Darko, but to Donnie Darko! S.Darko isn’t even a sequel, it’s a no-here stand-alone movie with Darko trademark. I would really like a true sequel to Donnie Darko, like after the crash of the engine. A true sequel like Crank 2 did, right after the crash, Grethen or someone else involved in the tengant universe meets Donnie, disguised in his skeletoon costume of the halloween party. It would be sooo great :D.

  • rick

    that is a neat idea about the skull costume. But i don’t think you can have donny come back. one of the main reasons the whole tangent universe occured in the first place was because he was supossed to get crushed by the engine but didn’t.

  • OMG!! I can’t believe they’re doing this again!! I just saw S. Darko, and it was amazing… to think – my dad used to beat me with a plank of wood to the head, and I was still able to understand such an intricate storyline!

    Seriously though. What happened to character development, plot, decent cinematography, and directing above the standard of my pet chimpanzee (which by the way, is a wall-poster!). Everyone was depressed and serious, don’t they ever show happiness, or anger, or love, hate, sadness (don’t get depression and sadness confused), banter, excitement, passion!!

    All the characters looked as though they’d had an enema of botox before each scene, and fed so many sedative pills that I almost fell asleep just by watching it! Another side affect of said pills was this inherent need for all the “actors”… wrong word really… to stare up at the sky for no reason!! OH MY GOD!! SHE’S BEEN HIT BY A CAR!! “where did it come from maaan? Oh dude look! A RAINBOW!!”

    Fuck me sideways, I seriously thought the credits were my favourite part of the whole film! Donnie Darko is a brilliant film, there was no need for a sequel – especially not one focussing on a character who in the previous film only had a single line – “What’s a fuck-arse?”.

    I feel I’d be doing the world a service if I mention that piratebay . org (no spaces) has a great copy of S. Darko in which this cash-cow, becomes merely a cow. A free cow! I never take pride, or condone stealing films from the internet – but in this case, I feel no remorse, in fact I’m bloody glad that I nicked it! After all, if they actually expect you to buy this piece of shit – then they’re robbing you anyway! In fact! Fuck it! I am OWED money from fox. Barker and Rathbone can suck a fuck!

    If Darko 3 gets made I’m going to make it my personal pursuit to eat Barker’s face for tea!

    Dan

  • My apologies, I have no idea where Barker came from – I meant Atkins and Fisher, I’ll personally see to it that I train a South Brazilian monk-ferret to climb up each of their anuses.

    Dan

  • pie

    lol i liked s.darko it wasnt donnie darko but it was good for a movie that had the concept of donnie darko. make a 3rd but add more deranged bunny this time. Gota love your person in a bunny costome, really though make a donnie darko sequel that has a chacter like frank the bunny and make the story intresting like donnie 1 and everryones happy !!!! XD

  • pie

    Helo got it frank
    a donnie darko tale
    its about frank and his story and how he saves donnie and his life death bldah bldah i mean it will also have donnie in it for the ppl that want donnie back. Also it will have the coolest movie chacter ever the frank the bunny !!!! hell yeah i mean its a great concept sence all we really know abouty frank is that hes wierd and he likes bunnys and gets killed lol

  • I do see a sequel made. If you look at it right, how do we know if there was anyone left alive to have been connected to Donnie. I feel that Richard Kelly will make it if The Box does good. But if Richard Kelly comes back directs or writes it or if a good story doesn’t get made or Jake Gyllenhaal returns or does a cameo or something, then I would say yeah go for it. If not, don’t embress yourself.

  • sam arby

    umm…well i havent seen the first one but im gonna as soon as i find a video store that has it. (an get my father to rent it 4 me, cus of the whole ’14 yr olds not aloud to rent rated r movies’ thing)but i liked the 2nd one. execpt 4 the end…it got really good and then they just totally messed it up with the crappy ending. but i think they need to a contiuation on the 2nd one cus there r ALOT of loose ends that desperately need to get tied up. anyway…so the first one is really good?

  • Oline

    I may just scream. This makes me want to vomit, curl into a ball, sob, then vomit some more.

    The first movie is better as a _stand-alone_ movie. Actually, it _is_ a stand-alone movie. In my mind, S. Darko is not a sequel to Donnie Darko. I watched it last night, and my God, is it awful.

    It’s a typical American shithorror. The plot is messed up (And not in the good way.) and lacking in every way.

    It also seems to me, that… What was his name? I don’t remember. The guy that made the second movie, didn’t, in any way, know what happened in the first movie.

    For one; Donnie liked to draw? Why, yes. But (and please correct me if I’m wrong – I may be.) didn’t he draw Frank _later_? Like, y’know, AFTER MEETING HIM? Then we go back in time and HE DIES. So, in conclusion, Donnie never got around to drawing Frank, therefore, it makes no sense for Samantha to have found drawings of Frank’s costume.

    AND; Once again, correct me if I’m wrong. I don’t remember if it is expained how she got Grandma Death’s book, but fucking A, she didn’t get it through Donnie, that’s for sure. He never got the book. He _died_.

    It is possible, though, that she, as a manipulated dead remembers the book, and the drawing, from the Tangent Universe. But, fucking A, what’s the logic in that? HOW does it further the second movie’s plot?

    Please… Please, don’t turn Donnie Darko into another shithorror franchise… Let’s all pretend the second movie never happened? And just move on…? Please?

  • josh

    I wouldnt mind seeing another darko tale, but i think if they are really going to go with it and make one they need to go back to the original. If they did i think it should have appearances from the original cast or somehow tie in the parts from the first movie by having it be based on the point of view of the rabbit. think about it, am i honestly the only one in the world that was wondering through the whole movie, “what the hell is that rabbit thinking this whole time?”

  • ben h

    Donnie- “why do you wear that stupid bunny suit?”
    Frank- “why do you wear that stupid man suit?”

  • Personally I thought one of the Butterfly Effect sequels was pretty good. That being said, I don’t know where they could go with the Darko sequel. Watching the movie the first time, without reading the description,and having to walk out of the room a couple times, I had a hard time following the movie or tying it in to the first Darko film. But I guess I would at least view the 3rd film to see if it’s any good

  • brian k

    as a great man said “WHAT THE FUCK!!!!! ARE WE PLAYING!!!!!!!!PERIODIC REVERBERATIONS OF OUR GASEOUS MEDIUM!!!!!!!!!!YES, I LIKE SEQUENCES AND REPETITIONS!!!!!
    BUT WHERE THE HELL DID YOU COME FROM!!!!!!!!!AUDITORY COMMUNICATION INCORPORATED BY… THESE DAN FANGLED CONTRAPTIONS!!!!!!!!BUT I HOPE YOU WE AREN’T TALKING ABOUT YOUR POINTLESS BITCHING!!!!!!!!IF I HAD A ROCKET LAUNCHER!!!!!!!NO WAIT!!!!!!! BREATH STILL!!! CALM DOWN!!!!!THIS IS NOT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT!!!!!!!!”
    -a quote from “ravenous ravenous” rhinos by “i set my friends on fire” AKA “ISMFOF”
    it has nothing do do with this just that i was about to say
    as a great man said “stop doing this you fucking dumb ass assholes, the movie was good the first time, the directors cut let us understand, now leave it the fuck alone before i fly to your house, and beat you to death”
    but that song fitted more perfectly
    but really i dont care if they do or not, ya the second one sucked but it gave hint of who was doing it (richard kelly said “god” but i dont think so) justin said something about the “guardians are watching” so my quess its the manipulated dead ie frank, dead sam, and that kid who was missing and dead so basicly anyone who interacts with the living reciver that dies in the tanget univers is a gardian and time travle back to set the motion in balence to save the world because if the do, they can continue to live and thats how i think it starts so s darko answered two questions about donnie darko, 1 how it starts (a manipulated dead wanting to live forces the living reciver to save the world) and 2 who starts it (manipulated dead)

    if they make a third one my ideas are this

    *dont have anyone from the twilight saga involved “OMG JASPER IS SO CUTE X3″ his name is… um somthing rathbone…. i dont care fuck twilight and s darko sucked, the fans of donnie darko hate that type of shit “OMG IF I WAS GRETCHEN I WOULD MOUNT HIM!!!!XD” fuck you sure jake is a beast but who gives a fuck

    *frank is the main character but i could be someone else but they need to be a big character in donnie darko like gretchen

    *starts off with Donnie in the tangent universe and highlighting the big parts during the beginning credits then moves to the part where he *spoiler alert* dies *spoiler alert* then to when everyone is waking up to mad world and then have him in the morning walk out and see donnie being pulled out of his house, and have the frank mask be somewhere in the ruble (it would have gone through with the portal) and have him see it then after seeing gretchin wave to donnies mom

    *follow him and his life and he would have an oddly similar life as donnie, but only small details

    *when he goes to sleep he would have the same encounter as Donnie had

    *before the world ends it will say something like “October 29th 1:32 (10 minutes remain)” you actually see frank use telekinesis to put what ever kills him into a portal

    *at the end he chooses to live and runs away from what would have killed him but does everything differently

    *the movie ends at the last frame that says how much time is left

  • kels

    donnie darko was a great movie good plot and everything! s. darko is honestly something i don’t want to see. and i never will see but now there making a third one and it will truly suck

  • jerald

    i love the donnie darko film i havnt seen the second on yet but it seems really shit and i doubt it would be as good as the first one.

  • Justin

    Love both movies. If they make a third I’ll watch it, but Donnie Darko is the best

  • joe meng

    i think how they should bring back donnie darko is to make it that he never actually died ( example, thinks that he is a freak so puts a dummy and jumps out the window) it would be cool, instead of having it to sci fi they should bring back that relation with donnie and grethchen( example donnie now using the alias name gerald meets grethcen but dosent know her, she helps him get back to his family and live the life he always wanted( married with children, remmenber? yeah BTW if anyone could pass these suggestions along so that the devs(probably not working on 3rd movie yet) so they could start writing with this plot, thank you

  • Matty

    If they are actually going to make a third one, it will definitely have to be a sequel of Donnie Darko, not S. Darko. Of course everyone wants Donnie to come back. The only way I can see that happening is that since Donnie actually dies, he becomes the Manipulated Dead towards a new character. As Frank was to Donnie, Donnie would guide a new character through a new Tangent Universe. Maybe the new Living Receiver could be Gretchen. Or, they can make a PREQUEL and show us what happened with Roberta Sparrow.

  • Green

    I’ve watched the first film several times, and the second quite a few times, too. Clearly Donnie Darko is in a class of its own, but the second film is really good if given enough thought, though this may be the fanboy in me talking.

    My point is this: I would like nothing more than to watch another film in this series, even if it’s only halfway acceptable. And, AND, I highly doubt I’m the only one who feels this way.