Editing Donnie Darko (section)

=== Theatrical release ===
[[File:Sundance Film Festival.jpg|thumb|right|The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.]]
''Donnie Darko'' premiered at the [[Sundance Film Festival]] in [[Park City, Utah]], on January 19, 2001. Kelly said it took around six months to secure a theatrical release; at one point, he was close to having it on the premium cable and satellite television network [[Starz]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/nov/14/donnie-darko-richard-kelly-donald-trump|title=Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly: 'Sometimes films need time to marinate'|first=Dave|last=Schilling|date=November 14, 2016|access-date=January 26, 2017|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref> Donnie firing a gun became one of Kelly's biggest problems while finding a distributor, as the [[Columbine High School massacre]] from 1999 raised concerns of the film promoting teenage suicide.<ref name=THR17/> The licensed songs in the film also presented problems as they had yet to be paid for, causing a risk of them being removed for a wide release. Kelly was also advised to cut 30 minutes from the film.<ref name=TR21/> Despite the problems, [[Newmarket Films]] agreed to buy the film and organise a theatrical release in a service deal with [[IFC Films]].<ref name=IW04/> Kelly involved Barrymore in the negotiations and recalled getting her to "beg" Newmarket for a deal, who had initially considered a [[straight-to-video]] release for it.<ref name=TR21/> Kelly credits [[Christopher Nolan]] and his wife [[Emma Thomas]] in securing the deal, after [[Memento (film)|''Memento'']] producer [[Aaron Ryder]] arranged a private screening of ''Donnie Darko'' for Newmarket executives Chris Ball and Will Tyrer and encouraged the pair to distribute it.<ref name=TR21/>

With a deal secured, the crew spent the summer of 2001 revisiting the film; Ryder said it was to get the film "in the best possible shape we could", but recalled the difficulty in the task.<ref name=TR21/> This involved an additional day of shooting to clarify some plot holes, such as Ryder's suggestion of including shots of Frank in the "Mad World" sequence.<ref name=TR21/> Nolan and Thomas had advised Kelly to insert title cards throughout the film to break down the events leading up to October 30, 1988, which he did.<ref name=THR17/><ref name=TR21>{{cite web|url=https://www.theringer.com/movies/2021/1/19/22237774/donnie-darko-oral-history|title=It's a Mad World: The 'Donnie Darko' Oral History|first=Alan|last=Siegel|date=January 19, 2021|access-date=January 22, 2021|publisher=The Ringer}}</ref>

''Donnie Darko'' was theatrically released from October 26, 2001, to its peak of 58 theaters across the United States; its premiere was held at the [[Grauman's Egyptian Theatre|Egyptian Theatre]] in Hollywood.<ref name=TR21/><ref>{{cite web | url=https://screenrant.com/donnie-darko-movie-adam-fields-interview/ | title=Producer Adam Fields Interview: Donnie Darko 20th Anniversary | website=[[Screen Rant]] | date=April 24, 2021 }}</ref> The film grossed $110,494 on its opening weekend, ranking No. 34 on the box office.<ref name="BOM">{{cite web|url= https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=donniedarko.htm|title=Donnie Darko (2001)|publisher= IMDb | work = [[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=2012-08-31}}</ref> The film was released six weeks after the [[September 11 attacks]] and its trailer featured an accident involving an aircraft, which affected its chances of box office success. Kelly said the film was not "attractive to people in that emotional, very deeply traumatizing chapter in our history".<ref name=TR21/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cine-vue.com/2010/07/dvd-releases-donnie-darko-2-disc.html|title=Blu-ray Review: 'Donnie Darko: 2 Disc Ultimate Edition' (rerelease)|author=James Davies|publisher=cine-vue.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110220014356/http://www.cine-vue.com/2010/07/dvd-releases-donnie-darko-2-disc.html|archive-date=February 20, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Newmarket president [[Bob Berney]] said "the bleak mood and the timing" was the cause of the film's failure at the box office, and that critics failed to understand or accept the film for what it is. "The mood filtered through everything."<ref name=IW04/> When its theatrical run ended on April 11, 2002, the film had grossed $517,375.<ref name="numbers" /><ref name="BOM" /> After reissues, it went on to gross $7.6 million worldwide, recouping its budget.<ref name="numbers" /> Despite its initial poor box office showing, the film attracted a devoted fan base and gained a [[cult following]]. Following its release on home video in March 2002, the Pioneer Theatre in [[New York City]] began midnight screenings of ''Donnie Darko'' that ran for 28 consecutive months.<ref name=IW04/>

====UK release====
In October 2002, the film was released in the UK, which generated renewed critical and commercial interest in the film. It sold 300,000 tickets within the first six weeks of its release, based mostly on [[word-of-mouth marketing]],<ref name=TG20040729>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/jul/30/2|title=The rabbit rides again|last=Leigh|first=Danny|date=July 30, 2004|work=The Guardian|access-date=February 1, 2021}}</ref> and grossed the equivalent of $2.5 million in its theatrical run.<ref name=IW04/> Its UK distributor Metrodome Distribution organised They Made Me Do It, an art exhibition that ran for 28 days at cafe bar Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes in [[Shoreditch]], London. The project involved several graffiti artists given 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds to complete a work inspired by the film.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jaguarshoes.com/donnie-darko-they-made-me-do-it/|title=Donnie Darko - 'They Made Me Do It'|publisher=Jaguar Shoes|date=November 1, 2002|access-date=February 5, 2021}}</ref>