Frank the Rabbit Returns in New Trailer for DONNIE DARKO’s 25th Anniversary Re-Release

25 years later, Frank the Rabbit is heading back to the big screen. Fathom Entertainment has released a new trailer for the 25th anniversary theatrical re-release of Donnie Darko, Richard Kelly’s wonderfully strange sci-fi classic.

The film returns to U.S. theaters in 4K from October 2nd through October 4th, 2026, giving fans another chance to experience one of the great cult movies of the early 2000s where it belongs.

This is one of my favorite indie sci-fi films, and it still has a wonderfully weird ability to crawl into your head and stay there. Time travel, suburban dread, apocalyptic visions, teenage anxiety, a falling jet engine, and one seriously creepy rabbit somehow come together into something completely its own.

Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Donnie Darko, a troubled teenager who narrowly avoids being killed when a jet engine crashes through his bedroom. Soon afterward, Donnie begins seeing Frank, a mysterious figure wearing a disturbing giant rabbit costume who draws him toward an increasingly bizarre series of events.

Donnie struggles with his family, teachers, and classmates, but finds a connection with Gretchen, played by Jena Malone, while a compassionate psychiatrist attempts to uncover what’s happening through hypnosis.

As Donnie’s visions intensify, his reality becomes tangled up with questions of fate, time, free will, and the possible end of the world.

The impressive ensemble also includes Drew Barrymore, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mary McDonnell, Katharine Ross, Patrick Swayze, Noah Wyle, and Seth Rogen in his feature film debut.

Kelly wrote and directed Donnie Darko as his first feature before going on to make Southland Tales and The Box. Adam Fields, Nancy Juvonen, and Sean McKittrick produced the film.

Donnie Darko originally premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2001 before opening in U.S. theaters that October. Its initial theatrical run brought in only around $3.1 million, but that certainly wasn’t the end of its story. The movie found a much bigger audience afterward and became one of the defining cult films of its era.

The anniversary screenings will also feature an exclusive introduction from Kelly discussing the film’s lasting legacy, its connection with audiences over the past 25 years, and how it became such an enduring cult favorite.

Kelly also has something new arriving for fans this fall. He has completed a book titled The Philosophy of Time Travel: The Epic Sequel to Donnie Darko, which is set to arrive around the same time as the anniversary screenings. I’m excited to read that!

Seeing Donnie Darko restored in 4K on a theater screen sounds like a pretty awesome way to celebrate its 25th anniversary. That jet engine crash, Frank lurking around in his nightmare rabbit suit, and the film’s increasingly twisted journey through time should play beautifully with a packed audience.

Fathom Entertainment will bring Donnie Darko back to U.S. theaters for its 25th anniversary from October 2nd through October 4th, 2026.

Check out the new trailer and get ready to follow Frank down the rabbit hole again.