Trivia

Richard Kelly wanted to set Donnie Darko in 1988 because it was when he was a teenager. He also said that he does not have any skill as to current teenagers and how they live their lives.

Richard Kelly’s favourite novel is Watership down, the book Karen Pomeroy read in class after The destructors was banned.

Donnie Darko was shot in 28 days.

Noah Wyle’s character Prof. Monnitoff is in some scenes seen eating hard candy. This because Noah Wyle wanted him to be a diabetic.

Beth Grant, the actress who played Mrs. Farmer, was overheard while confessing Richard Kelly was the best director she ever had worked with. Add to this that Richard Kelly was a 26 year-old making his first film, that's quite a compliment.