A sequel to Donnie Darko will soon be released… in bookstores

Director Richard Kelly has written a sequel… in the form of an imposing 800-page novel, which could serve as a first step towards a possible return to the big screen.

Twenty-five years after the cult film, the universe of Donnie Darko will finally see a sequel.

Released in 2001, the film will extend its strange mythology with The Philosophy of Time Travela book written by Richard Kelly, director and screenwriter of the original film. The story will resume in 1988, shortly after the events of the first film, which ended with the death of Donnie.

The novel, expected in the fourth quarter of 2026 from Range Literary Publishing, will take the form of found documents. Donnie’s parents, Rose and Eddie, will each recount their investigation into their son’s death and try to understand what really happened. The book will also feature different versions of familiar characters, including some who appeared to be the villains of the film.

This approach is reminiscent of that recently followed by Michael Mann with Heat 2. Before this literary sequel to Heat was in turn acquired to be adapted for the cinema, the filmmaker had chosen to continue the story of his cult film in the form of a novel.

A strategy that could inspire Richard Kelly, who would like to do Donnie Darko2. But he has not yet contacted the actors of the original film to ask them to reprise their roles. He first wants to allow them to discover, through the book, what their characters have become.

Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Drew Barrymore, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Patrick Swayze and Seth Rogen, Donnie Darko will celebrate its 25th anniversary on October 26, 2026. A particularly symbolic date to relaunch one of the most mysterious works of cinema of the 2000s.