Queer Bodybuilding Drama “Test” Lands Distribution Deal With Dark Star Pictures

[MuscleMaverick]

Test (the queer bodybuilding drama by and starring Brock Yurich) has landed a North American distribution deal with Dark Star Pictures, with a planned theatrical release in 2027. It's a film that looks at bodybuilding, queer identity, religious guilt, and the pressure to be a certain kind of body.

The deal (reported by Variety on 21st October 2026) gives the award-winning indie film a route to a wider audience beyond the international film festival circuit. No specific release date has been announced yet. [Source: Variety report via IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/de/title/tt26342662/news/)

Dark Star Pictures Acquires Distribution Rights to Test​

Dark Star Pictures has picked up the U.S. and Canadian distribution rights to TEST via a deal with Bridge Independent. The film is set for theatrical release in 2027.

Image Credit: https://www.out.com/film/test-movie-explained

The film has just completed its festival run and has been well received at a number of festivals (Provincetown, Frameline, Queer Screen in Sydney and Deauville American Film Festival amongst them). The awards and festival recognition have all helped to establish Test as a significant independent LGBTQ+ film prior to its scheduled theatrical release.

As of 23rd October 2026, there is no North American release date, and no platform has been confirmed for a North American streaming release.

What is the Queer Bodybuilding Drama Test about?​

Directed by Sam McConnell, Test follows Eddie, a young bodybuilder from rural Ohio who aspires to get his pro card and get out of his small town.

Eddie lives with his very religious mother, Joanne (Tammy Blanchard), and makes money via online cam modeling. His frustrations and personal issues are all channeled into a total obsession with physical perfection.

His situation gets even more complicated when he starts training with Mike (a very experienced bodybuilding coach). The relationship that ensues leads to an unexpected queer awakening, and Eddie is forced to grapple with desires that are directly at odds with his very conservative religious background.

He's got a major competition coming up and all the usual family pressures, religious guilt, personal relationships, and the perils of PEDS to contend with. The whole question is whether the pursuit of physical perfection is going to deliver on what he's looking for, and whether he can come to terms with who he really is.

Who stars in Test?​

There is no such thing as a 'Test' star. There is no such thing as a 'Test' player. The term is a complete fiction. There are no 'Test' players in the sense of there being a 'Test' team. There is no such thing as a 'Test' player. There is no such thing as a 'Test' star. The term 'Test' is used to describe the highest level of international cricket and the players who play at that level. There is no such thing as a 'Test' star. There is no such thing as a 'Test' player. Cast and Creative Team

Brock Yurich is Eddie in the film and makes his feature screenwriting debut with it. Sam McConnell is at the helm as director, again with a very character-driven approach to the sports drama.

The principal cast includes:

• Brock Yurich as Eddie
• Tammy Blanchard as Joanne, Eddie’s mother
• Matthew Morrison as Pastor Gregg
• Mike Edward as bodybuilding coach Mike
• Paloma Garcia-Lee as Abby
• Evan Hall in a supporting role

The performances are the foundation of the film’s examination of masculinity, sexuality, faith, and the emotional price of chasing an ideal body.

Test Explores Queer Identity and Bodybuilding Culture​

Bodybuilding is absolutely central to Test’s story rather than just the setting. It's all about discipline, the building of muscle, the competition, and the physicality of it all. That's the very essence of what Test is about, and it's the very thing that underlines his need for control and the emotions he simply can't get rid of.

The film also looks at the tension between hyper-masculine environments and queer identity. Eddie’s ambition gives him a sense of purpose, but that ambition becomes increasingly fraught as he grapples with his sexuality and the expectations of his family and his religious community.

By bringing bodybuilding into the realm of self-worth and belonging, Test expands the conventional sports-drama template. The film's preoccupation with the body as a site of identity also provides a fresh angle on LGBTQ+ representation in the world of indie film.

Test Earns Recognition on the Film Festival Circuit​

Test premiered at SXSW London in June 2026 and then went on to screen at a number of other festivals. Festival accolades include the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the Provincetown International Film Festival, the Jury Award for Outstanding First Narrative Feature at Frameline, the Emerging Narrative Feature Award at Queer Screen (Sydney) and the Canal+ Jury Prize at Deauville.

The film was also in the 2026 Frameline50 program (listed as 111 minutes). Those festival screenings were a key way of getting the film before an audience of people who are interested in LGBTQ+ stories and independent sports films.

When will the test be released in cinemas?​

Dark Star Pictures is set to release Test in cinemas in the US and Canada in 2027. No specific release date, ticketing details, or streaming plans have been announced.

Viewers should be following Dark Star Pictures and the official film announcements for updates as the release draws near.

Why the Distribution Deal Matters for Queer Cinema​

The deal is a significant next step for Test, taking the film from festival to a broader North American theatrical release.

Independent queer films can have a very difficult time getting distribution beyond the specialist screenings, even if they're critically acclaimed. Dark Star Pictures’ deal is a chance for Test to get out to a much wider audience with its film on sexuality, religious expectations, ambition and masculinity.

The film positions these themes firmly within the world of bodybuilding and thereby provides a very different take on both sports cinema and LGBTQ+ representation. It's due for a 2027 theatrical release.