Jonathan Majors' Film 'Magazine Dreams' Faces Uncertainty After His Guilty Verdict

Jonathan Majors' bodybuilding drama "Magazine Dreams" was gearing up for major awards buzz until he was shockingly arrested on assault allegations.

Now that the actor has been convicted, it has thrown "Magazine Dreams" into uncertainty, with its star possibly being dropped.

After 18 months of hard work to transform his body for the role, the film is currently in limbo at Searchlight Studios and might never be released. Meanwhile, Majors is working hard to refurbish his public image ahead of his upcoming sentencing with a "GMA" interview.

Majors began his 2023 in a big way with the unveiling of the bodybuilding drama "Magazine Dreams" at the Sundance Film Festival. The film received high praise and reviews from critics at the festival, with many predicting that it would usher in an excellent year for the actor.

The expectations for "Magazine Dreams" and Majors' new year were a sweep at awards season and multiple blockbuster roles. However, just a few months later, the "Creed 3" actor was arrested on assault and harassment charges relating to a March 25 incident with ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari.

By December, Majors was officially convicted and is now awaiting sentencing on February 6. The fallout has been severe for the actor, starting with the termination of his role as Kang the Conqueror at Marvel Studios and any future roles with Disney. This came just a few hours after a jury of six New Yorkers revealed his guilty verdict.

The trial and conviction also affected " Magazine Dreams" as the film now hangs in limbo at Disney's specialty Searchlight Studio. They acquired the film shortly after its success at the Sundance Festival and slated it for release in December. However, the film was pulled from the release calendar amid prep for Majors' controversial trial.

Now, it's more likely that the film will never get a greenlight from Searchlight and Disney. So far, both studios have stayed silent regarding the movie's future, but sources have stated that it's staying on the shelf for now, possibly permanently. The main problems would be Majors' now controversial public image and the film's personal violence themes, which would affect marketing.

However, some sources told The Hollywood Reporter that "Magazine Dreams" might get a green light in another studio. Searchlight might decide to return it to filmmakers, who'll look for another buyer. The producers include Majors himself, Jennifer Fox, Dan Gilroy, Jeffrey Soros, and Simon Horsman.

"Magazine Dreams" follows Majors' character, Killian Maddox, an amateur bodybuilder,r as he deals with personal demons and struggles for success. It was created by writer-director Elijah Bynum, who rewrote it for Majors specifically after being inspired by a poster of his face on a Los Angeles city bus.

Majors worked hard for the film, training his body for 18 months to fit the image for Maddox. Film critics have compared the dedication to Robert De Niro's character as Travis Bickle in the infamous "Taxi Driver." Production on "Magazine Dreams" took 24 days in various places around L.A. and received the creative vision jury prize at Sundance.

David Rooney, the chief film critic for THR, commented on the film during its premiere at Sundance. He wrote, "It's an all-in performance for the ages, layered with as much vulnerability as anger, and it's to Majors' credit that our hearts ache for Killian even — or perhaps especially — when he's out of control."

While "Magazine Dreams" remains in limbo at Searchlight, Majors' focus is on holding onto the scraps of his career amid his conviction and upcoming sentencing. He began work to refurbish his public image, which was heavily damaged once the assault and harassment allegations hit the internet and public interest in his trial peaked.

In what legal and PR professionals call an "unusual" move, Majors granted an interview with ABC's "Good Morning America" to reiterate his side of the story and refute the allegations against him. During the interview, the actor was asked if he believed he'd ever work in Hollywood again, and he said, "Yeah. I do. I pray I do."

After the chat with ABC aired live, multiple experts spoke to THR about their opinion of the impact of the interview on his sentencing. One anonymous crisis PR expert called the move a "high risk, low reward strategy" that wouldn't yield results anytime soon. They added, "You can't rebuild your house while the hurricane is still raging overhead."