Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly is working on more stories in the Darko universe

Donnie Darko
(Image credit: Newmarket)

Director Richard Kelly has revealed that he's working on more stories set in the Donnie Darko universe.

Of course, a sequel already exists – 2009’s S. Darko, which centered on Donnie’s younger sister. But Kelly had zero involvement with that. 

"I've been working on a lot more story that could exist in the Donnie Darko universe, and it’s been really rewarding," he reveals to GamesRadar+'s sister publication, SFX Magazine, in the latest issue. "I’ve been under a lot of pressure to deliver – a lot of people are very passionate about me returning to this world." 

The original movie was released in 2001 and stars Jake Gyllenhaal as the titular character, a troubled teenager who has visions of Frank, a mysterious figure in a rabbit costume who informs him that the world will end in 28 days and begins to manipulate him. The supporting cast includes big names like Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, and Patrick Swayze.

"There’s a scene in the film where you see Donnie lying in bed, and he’s playing with a Rubik’s Cube, and he looks over at a calendar, and the days are ticking by," Kelly notes. "I’ve kind of been with my own Rubik's Cube, trying to solve the puzzle. I'm very excited about what the future could hold, and that there could be a much bigger, much more exciting story which could be told in this world. So we’ll see."

Kelly has had a break from directing movies over the last decade – his last feature film, The Box, a psychological thriller starring Cameron Diaz and James Marsden, was released in 2009. 

You can check out the full interview with Kelly in the current issue of SFX Magazine. A new Limited Edition 4K Blu-ray of Donnie Darko, released by Arrow, is out on 26 April in the UK. or more from SFX, make sure to sign up to the newsletter, sending all the latest exclusives straight to your inbox.

Deputy Editor, SFX

Ian Berriman has been working for SFX – the world's leading sci-fi, fantasy and horror magazine – since March 2002. He also writes for Total Film, Electronic Sound and Retro Pop; other publications he's contributed to include Horrorville, When Saturday Comes and What DVD. A life-long Doctor Who fan, he's also a supporter of Hull City, and live-tweets along to BBC Four's Top Of The Pops repeats from his @TOTPFacts account.