How Donnie Darko Changed After Drew Barrymore Signed On

Producer Adam Fields revealed new details about how casting Drew Barrymore for Donnie Darko changed the film and her role as English teacher Karen Pomeroy. Set in October 1988, the story centers on the titular teenager as he escapes being crushed to death by a jet engine with the help of the mysterious, monstrous rabbit figure Frank, who warns the world will end in 28 days. The film features an ensemble cast with Jake Gyllenhaal in the central role alongside Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, Jena Malone, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mary McDonnell, Noah Wyle, and Seth Rogen.

After three years of developing the mind-bending project and selling it to producers, writer/director Richard Kelly finally raised enough money for production. Initially, Jason Schwartzman led the ensemble cast until he had to withdraw due to scheduling issues. Making its premiere at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival to positive reviews from critics, Kelly was finally able to sell the film for a theatrical release to Newmarket Films with the assistance of Barrymore, on-the-rise filmmaker Christopher Nolan and his wife, Emma Thomas. It was a runaway hit upon home release, with initial DVD sales being reported upward of $10 million.

In an interview with Screen Rant to discuss the 20th anniversary of the cult hit, Fields recalled that when Schwartzman and Malone first signed on to the film, it helped spark interest from an array of talent in Hollywood to be part of the project, namely Barrymore. When the E.T. star signed on for the film, it not only helped the production raise “an extra million dollars” but also saw Kelly reshape her character to better fit Barrymore, who was very eager to join on.

“The Drew Barrymore part was written for an older teacher who was about to get tenure and retire. Her dilemma was, ‘if I support this, I could lose my tenure.’ And then when Drew got hold of it and wanted to be in it, Richard changed it to a younger and newer teacher. Richard said, ‘I’ll just make her younger!’ And Drew’s name, I think, got us an extra million dollars.”

While it might have been interesting to see who Kelly would’ve cast as Karen should she have been kept as an older character, the decision to shift gears for Barrymore ultimately was the right decision. Dedicated as she was, Karen was a highly complex character, appropriately moody and unafraid to challenge the status quo of the small midwest town. To see this persona in a younger character in her mid-20s added a more intriguing layer for viewers in its diverse roster of characters. With Barrymore’s name carrying enough star power to help better finance the project to achieve Kelly’s vision for the film.

Twenty years later and Donnie Darko continues to be one of the most underrated-yet-highly-celebrated cult classics, even if its direct-to-video sequel nearly derailed its predecessor’s prestige. Though Kelly hasn’t sat in the director’s chair for the past 12 years, he is reportedly developing a proper follow-up to the Gyllenhaal-led tale and a biopic of The Twilight Zone creator and host Rod Serling.

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Grant Hermanns
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Grant Hermanns is a News Writer, Interviewer and Hiring Manager for Screen Rant, having joined the team in early 2021. Way back in 2015 while still in his college days, Grant got his start in the entertainment journalism industry with creator-friendly site Moviepilot until it shuttered nearly three years later. From there he joined the staff at ComingSoon.net and was its Associate Editor prior to coming over to Screen Rant.

To say he’s a lover of film and television would be an understatement and when he’s not mass consuming either you can find him exploring the world of Dungeons & Dragons with friends or slowly making his way through his gaming backlog.

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