Trailer arrives for Jonathan Majors’ ‘Magazine Dreams’ despite assault conviction

The trailer for Jonathan Major’s new sports drama, Mazaxine Dreams, has been released, which comes two years after it was dropped by the film’s original distributors following the actor’s assault conviction in 2023. 

Magazine Dreams, directed by Elijah Bynum, stars Major as Killian Maddox, an aspiring bodybuilder who uses steroids during his quest for success. In the trailer, Killian can be seen doing everything in his power to achieve the title of Mr Olympia, the international bodybuilding champion. 

In a voiceover, Killian can be heard saying, “You have to do something big and important, or no one will remember you when you’re dead”. The character is also seen speaking to a therapist played by Harriet Sansom Harris, who tells him how important it is to “find people that [he] can make an emotional bond with”.

“If you’re not 100 percent you will never be successful,” his character adds in the voiceover. “You’ve got to commit all energy and focus to being the greatest bodybuilder on the entire planet. That’s what separates one from being a champion, one from not being a champion.”

The film sparked a bidding war at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, with the story being described as an exploration of celebrity and violence.

It was originally purchased by Searchlight, with distributors announcing that it would arrive in cinemas in 2023. However, Majors was found guilty in December of that year for harassing and assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari. He was also found guilty of third-degree assault and harassment, with the actor avoiding jail time and being sentenced to a one-year in-person intervention program in Los Angeles, as well as mandated therapy and a $250 surcharge. 

Searchlight dropped the film after this news, but Briarcliff Entertainment later acquired the rights and the movie will now be released on March 21st.

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