Is Magazine Dreams based on a true story? Inspiration behind the Jonathan Majors film, explored

Magazine Dreams has finally received a theatrical release and, as always, a part of the audience might be wondering whether the film is based on a true story. Before delving into the answer, let's do a brief recap of the film, and why it took so long to see the light of the day. The film premiered two years ago, at the Sundance Film Festival and received mainly favorable reviews. However, Walt Disney Studios decided to drop its wider release amid the controversies related to its leading star.

Magazine Dreams stars Jonathan Majors as Killian Maddox, an introverted bodybuilder who aspired to rise to the level of his idol, Brad Vanderhorn. While tracing his fixation with this sport, the film shows him struggling with his social and romantic life. However, he remains stuck in a limbo state since he confuses obsession with genuine interest. In this context, the film is reminiscent of older films, including Martin Scorsese's The King of Comedy, which shows an aspiring stand-up comedian going to any lengths to be like, or be, his idol.

Unlike what some viewers might assume, Magazine Dreams is not based on a true story. However, it is inspired by writer-director Elijah Bynum's real-life experience, observing a man similarly devoted to working out.

Is Killian Maddox's story true? The inspiration behind Magazine Dreams explored

Magazine Dreams is a recent sports drama that follows Killian Maddox, a young bodybuilder passionate about the sport. The script shows him trying to fulfill his aspirations in this field. However, it is easier said than done, evident from the later part of his journey. Maddox's character is not based on an actual bodybuilder. Not to say that there is no Killian Maddox in real life, who aspires to be a body-builder.

However, the film is rooted in the writer-director Elijah Bynum's actual observations. Byron encountered a person at his gym and was inspired by his utmost dedication to his workout:

“He seemed to be in quite a bit of pain, like physical pain, spiritual pain, emotional pain, but there was something that kept him going there every day."

Bynum told Indiewire during an interview in 2023 after the film's Sundance premiere. He further added:

“He was clearly very ambitious about what he was doing and clearly was very driven about what he was doing. What was most interesting was how the rest of us in the gym were responding to him, because he was an intimidating figure. No one wanted to be caught looking at him, so we all just sort of looked the other way and pretended he wasn’t there."

These observations go hand in hand with the protagonist of Magazine Dreams, who is quietly intimidating and has severe anger management issues. Maddox lives a miserable life, as a grocery worker, unable to break out of his monotonous routine and be the fighter he aspires to be. So, he is often sidelined by those around him:

"I thought there was something very interesting about a character or individual human who moves through the world that’s both feared and ignored at the same time.”

Bynum hoped to bring this dichotomy within the character:

“I don’t know this man at all, but from what I could kind of surmise, it felt like someone who had a fragile soul inside of that and he seemed to have built up this armor of muscle around him. And I thought that was quite interesting for a character."