Richard Kelly announces Donnie Darko sequel novel

Richard Kelly, the writer and director of the 2001 cult science fiction film Donnie Darko, has announced an official sequel titled ‘The Philosophy of Time Travel’. The project, which Kelly has been developing for approximately a decade, will debut as an 800-page novel published by Range Literary Publishing. The book is expected to be released in the fourth quarter of 2026 to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the original film.

Set in 1988, the novel explores the 14 months following the death of the protagonist, Donnie Darko. The narrative will utilize a ‘found documents’ format, incorporating testimonies, recordings, and correspondence from characters such as Donnie’s parents, Rose and Eddie Darko, as they attempt to investigate the circumstances of their son's death. The story aims to expand the film's mythology regarding tangent universes and collective experiences.

This literary release is intended as the first phase of a larger multi-format expansion. Kelly plans to eventually adapt the story into an animated film using motion-capture technology, followed by a live-action sequel that jumps 28 years into the future. The director expressed interest in potentially reuniting the original cast for the later live-action installments.