Dark Star Pictures Acquires Gay Bodybuilding Drama Test for 2027 Release

Dark Star Pictures has acquired the distribution rights to Test, an award-winning gay bodybuilding drama that’s been making waves on the festival circuit. The film, directed by Sam McConnell and written by and starring Brock Yurich, will arrive in U.S. and Canadian theaters in 2027, bringing a fresh and compelling perspective to the sports drama genre.

A Story of Identity and Ambition

Test follows Eddie, a closeted young man from small-town Ohio played by Yurich, who dreams of achieving physical perfection and carving out a career in amateur bodybuilding. Living with his emotionally demanding, devoutly religious mother (Tammy Blanchard) while working as a cam model, Eddie channels all his frustrations and desires into an obsessive devotion to his body. When he begins training under a renowned coach and reconnects with an old flame, his future suddenly seems within reach.

But this isn’t your typical inspirational sports story. As Eddie navigates an unexpected queer awakening, he finds himself caught between the pressures of competition, the weight of religious guilt, and the seductive danger of performance-enhancing drugs. It’s a messy, complicated portrait of ambition and self-discovery that refuses easy answers.

The ensemble cast is stellar. Beyond Yurich and Blanchard, the film features Tammy Blanchard as Eddie’s mother, Matthew Morrison from Glee, Paloma Garcia-Lee from the West Side Story remake, Evan Hall from Orange Is the New Black, and Mike Edward from M3GAN 2.0. This is serious entertainment with genuine star power backing it.

Festival Success and Critical Acclaim

Test had its world premiere at SXSW London earlier this year and has since become a festival darling. The film’s acclaimed run includes screenings at Provincetown International Film Festival, Frameline, Outfest Los Angeles, and the Deauville American Film Festival. The accolades speak volumes: Audience Award for best narrative feature at Provincetown, Jury Award for outstanding first narrative feature at Frameline, the Emerging Narrative Feature Award at Queer Screen in Sydney, and the Canal+ Jury Prize at Deauville.

Michael Repsch, president of Dark Star Pictures, praised the film’s ambitious scope: “Test is a bold and compelling film that offers a fresh perspective on the traditional sports drama. Sam McConnell has crafted a powerful story about identity, ambition and the pressures of living up to expectations, anchored by outstanding performances from Brock Yurich and Tammy Blanchard.”

A Director’s Vision Comes to Life

McConnell’s feature directorial approach resonates deeply with themes of authenticity and self-worth. In a statement, he explained: “Test is a film about finding the strength to be your true self and recognizing your own worth. Sharing the film with audiences at festivals around the world has been the most rewarding experience of my career, and I’m thrilled to partner with Dark Star Pictures, whose belief in Test and commitment to a robust theatrical release will allow even more audiences to discover the film as we intended on the big screen.”

This commitment to theatrical presentation matters. In an era where streaming dominates, Dark Star Pictures is betting that Test deserves the big screen experience. McConnell and his team clearly envision this as a communal experience, one meant to be shared in darkened theaters where audiences can sit with the film’s complicated emotions and moral tensions.

What’s Next

Before its 2027 theatrical release, Test will continue making the festival circuit. The film screens at NewFest in New York City on October 21, giving East Coast audiences a chance to catch it before the wider rollout. It’s Yurich’s feature screenwriting debut, and the film is a production of Tandem Pictures and Hardball Entertainment.

The deal was negotiated by Repsch and Bill Straus of Bridge Independent, representing the filmmakers and ensuring this story gets the platform it deserves. With its unflinching examination of masculinity, sexuality, faith, and ambition, Test arrives at a moment when drama needs more stories like this one: messy, human, and unafraid to sit in uncomfortable spaces.

Source: Infeeds.com

How many stories about queer athletes get the theatrical treatment they truly deserve?