Editing Donnie Darko (section)

===Development===
Kelly knew that the film's complicated story would be difficult to pitch to producers without a script, so he had producers read it first before discussing it with them further.<ref name=BBC20021021/> While pitching the script, Kelly and McKittrick insisted that Kelly direct the film, which hindered its chances at being picked up.<ref name=TR21/> Kelly recalled 1999 being a year of "meeting after meeting", all of which ended in rejection, and at this point declared the film "dead".<ref name=LAT20011026/> McKittrick said ''Donnie Darko'' was "the challenging script in town that everybody wanted to make, but was too afraid".<ref name=LAT20011026/>

[[File:DrewBarrymoreMusicLyrics.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Drew Barrymore]] agreed to finance the film's production through her company, [[Flower Films]].]]
A turning point arrived when agents John Campisi and [[Rob Paris (producer)|Rob Paris]] at the [[Creative Artists Agency]] took an interest in the script and signed Kelly on.<ref name=TR21/> Kelly said his "jaw was on the floor" at the unexpected offer, which greatly boosted the chances of having the film made with the agency's stamp on the script.{{sfn|Kelly|2003|p=xxxii}} This led to further meetings with several prominent individuals, including [[Francis Ford Coppola]], [[Ben Stiller]], [[William Horberg]], and [[Betty Thomas]].<ref name=TR21/> Kelly's meeting with Coppola was particularly influential, as Coppola drew his attention to one of Karen's lines after she is fired—"The kids have to figure it all out these days, because the parents, they don't have a clue"—and Kelly recalled: "He slid the binder down the big table and very dramatically said: 'That's what your whole movie's about right there.'"<ref name=THR17>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809114706/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/donnie-darko-inside-story-director-richard-kelly-reveals-francis-ford-coppolas-hidden-hand-|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/donnie-darko-inside-story-director-richard-kelly-reveals-francis-ford-coppolas-hidden-hand-|archive-date=August 9, 2020|title='Donnie Darko,' The Inside Story: Director Richard Kelly Reveals Francis Ford Coppola's Hidden Hand in Shaping the Movie|last=Siegel|first=Tatiana|date=March 31, 2017|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=December 3, 2018}}</ref> Early on [[Vince Vaughn]] was offered the role of Donnie, but he turned it down as he felt he was too old for the part.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2012/07/the-lost-roles-of-vince-vaughn.html|title=The Lost Roles of Vince Vaughn|first=Bradford|last=Evans|date=July 26, 2012|website=Vulture}}</ref> [[Mark Wahlberg]] was also approached, but he insisted that he should play Donnie with a lisp.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2770282/mark-wahlberg-favorite-movie/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160622201851/http://www.mtv.com/news/2770282/mark-wahlberg-favorite-movie/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 22, 2016|title = Mark Wahlberg Turned Down the Lead Role in Your Favorite Movie|website = [[MTV]]}}</ref>

Development progressed in early 2000, when actor [[Jason Schwartzman]] expressed an interest in the script and agreed to play as Donnie.<ref name=LAT20011026/><ref name=THR17/><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/69348570/|title=Schwartzman dons 'Donnie Darko'|date=May 19, 2000|newspaper=Florida Today|page=27|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=February 4, 2021}}</ref> Kelly said this moment "legitimized me as a director" and recalled "all of a sudden people came out of the woodwork, it was alive again". Around this time [[Ryman Hospitality Properties|Pandora Cinema]] offered a $2.5 million production budget, and Schwartzman's agent sent the script to [[Nancy Juvonen]], who co-owned [[Flower Films]] with actress [[Drew Barrymore]]. The pair liked the script and wanted to get involved, which led Kelly and McKittrick to a meeting with the pair in March 2000 on the set of ''[[Charlie's Angels (2000 film)|Charlie's Angels]]'' (2000), where Barrymore was filming. Barrymore agreed to play as Karen, and Flower Films agreed to increase the budget to $4.5 million.{{sfn|Kelly|2003|p=xxxv}}<ref name=FC01>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/210266712|first=Mark|last=Olsen|date=September 2001|title=Discovery: Richard Kelly|magazine=Film Comment|volume=37|issue=5|pages=16–17|via=[[ProQuest]]|access-date=February 5, 2021|id={{ProQuest|210266712}}}}</ref><ref name=TR21/><ref name=BBC20021021/><ref name="'Darko' takes a long, strange trip">{{cite news |title = 'Darko' takes a long, strange trip |url= https://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2005-02-14-dvd-donnie-darko_x.htm |newspaper = [[USA Today]] |first1=Mike |last1=Snider |date=2005-02-14 |access-date=2012-08-30}}</ref> Kelly later called the sum the "bare minimum" to make the film.<ref name=LA18>{{cite web|url=https://www.liveabout.com/inside-donnie-darko-2419188|title=Inside "Donnie Darko" With Writer/Director Richard Kelly|first=Rebecca|last=Murray|date=May 25, 2018|publisher=Liveabout|access-date=February 4, 2021}}</ref>

After securing enough financial backing, pre-production accelerated and filming was booked for the summer of 2000 and scheduled to accommodate Barrymore, who had just one week's availability.<ref name=TR21/> However, by July, Schwartzman had withdrawn due to scheduling conflicts. This led to an "exciting" period for Kelly who met several hopefuls, including [[Patrick Fugit]] and [[Lucas Black]].<ref name=FC01/><ref name=TR21/> Gyllenhaal, who was in Los Angeles auditioning for parts, was "mesmerised" by the script and recalled pulling over the side of the road to finish reading it.<ref name=TG20161212/> Filming was scheduled to start in one month, during which Kelly worked with Gyllenhaal to amend parts of his dialogue. Gyllenhaal was given "a lot of room" to incorporate his own ideas, including making his voice sound like "a child talking to its blanket" when he talks to Frank as he is a source of comfort for Donnie.<ref name=LAT20011026/> Gyllenhaal also had the idea to have his real-life sister Maggie star as Elizabeth Darko.<ref name=TG20161212/> [[Jolene Purdy]]'s audition for Cherita was the first of her career.<ref name=TR21/> Kelly credits Juvonen for being instrumental for getting Wyle and Swayze on board.<ref name=TR21/>