Brokeback Mountain celebrates 20th anniversary with nationwide theatrical re-release – rarely seen behind-the-scenes images & stills

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Ang Lee’s landmark film, Focus Features is re-releasing Brokeback Mountain nationwide in theaters, with special showings beginning on June 22nd and 25th, 2025. Tickets are now on sale for the theatrical event, which will be accompanied by a new poster and other anniversary initiatives. A selection of special merchandise, including tshirts and a stylish denim jacket, is now available on the NBC Store.

Directed by Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain starred the late Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, and Michelle Williams, and grossed over $178 million at the global box office. The sweeping queer Western about two cowboys’ secretive, lifelong bond became an instant classic, breaking cinematic and social barriers and solidifying its cast and filmmakers as among the industry’s finest. The film helped establish Focus Features as an industry leader working with visionary filmmakers to bring resonant films to wide audiences.

Beyond its cultural impact and box office success, Brokeback Mountain achieved extensive critical acclaim, winning three Academy Awards from eight nominations, including wins for Best Directing for Lee, Best Original Score for Gustavo Santaolalla, and Best Adapted Screenplay for co-writers Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, who adapted from the short story by Pulitzer Prize-winner Annie Proulx. The film’s haunting soundtrack features Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, and Rufus Wainwright.

Hailed as a seminal film and lauded by critics for the fearlessly emotional performances of its stars, Brokeback Mountain captures the passion, heartbreak, and regret that mark the lifelong bond between two men. The film follows Ennis Del Mar (Ledger) and Jack Twist (Gyllenhaal), two young men dispatched to work as on the majestic Brokeback Mountain in the summer of 1963. During their experience, Ennis and Jack are drawn into an unexpected lifelong relationship, filled with love and loss and unfolding against the raw beauty and splendor of the American West. The complications, joys, and heartbreak they experience provide a testament to the endurance and power of love.

Proulx’s short story was originally published in The New Yorker in 1997, winning the National Magazine Award for Fiction. In 2000, a slightly extended version was published in Proulx’s short story collection Close Range: Wyoming Stories, which was a Pulitzer Prize finalist.

Celebrating the 20th anniversary, Focus Features is re-releasing Brokeback Mountain nationwide in theaters beginning June 22nd & June 25th. Tickets Now on Sale.

The Queer Review is thrilled to share this selection of rarely seen behind-the-scenes images and film stills by photographer Kimberly French:

Celebrating the 20th anniversary, Focus Features is re-releasing Brokeback Mountain nationwide in theaters beginning June 22nd & June 25th. Tickets Now on Sale. A selection of Brokeback Mountain merchandise is now available on the NBC Store.