'Donnie Darko' Sequel Getting to Big Screen, Starts Filming in May

Though "Donnie Darko", the 2001 psychological thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal, couldn't be said to be a box office material, the movie still manages to catapult Gyllenhaal's name and gets a devoted fan base for its director/scribbler Richard Kelly. Now, nearly seven years after its release, its sequel by the name of "S. Darko" will be made and it is scheduled to start filming May 18.

The sequel takes off seven years after the first film and it puts Darko's little sister, Samantha Darko who is now 18 years old as the center of the story. It will follow Samantha and her best friend Corey on a roadtrip to Los Angeles when they are suddenly stormed with distracting visions. Up to this point, it won't have Kelly involved, instead it will be helmed by "Rampage: The Hillside Strangler Murders" director Chris Fisher.

The new thriller movie will have its original actress Daviegh Chase to reprise Samantha's role, but it apparently won't have Gyllenhaal as Simon Crowe of Velvet Octopus, the sales company promoting the film, stated "Donnie's not in [the new film] but there are meteorites and rabbits." Additionally, Chase will be supported with a band of new cast ensemble that include Ed Westwick of "Son of Rambow", Briana Evigan of "Step Up 2 the Streets" and Justin Chatwin of "Dragonball".

"Donnie Darko" is a drama thriller about an intelligent but emotionally troubled teenager who accidentally saves his own life when following an instruction from a voice in his head, which comes from his imaginary friend dressed in a man-sized rabbit costume. The friend then reveals to him that the end of the world is near and is coming fast. The film got limited release across the U.S. on October 26, 2001.