The Bikeriders | |
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Directed by | Jeff Nichols |
Written by | Jeff Nichols |
Based on | The Bikeriders by Danny Lyon |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Adam Stone |
Edited by | Julie Monroe |
Music by | David Wingo |
Production companies |
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Distributed by |
Focus Features (USA/Canada) Universal Pictures (International) |
Release dates |
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Running time | 116 minutes [1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $40 million [2] |
The Bikeriders is a 2023 American drama film written and directed by Jeff Nichols. It tells a fictional story inspired by the 1967 photo-book of the same name by Danny Lyon depicting the lives of the Outlaws MC, a Chicago-based motorcycle gang. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Norman Reedus, and Tom Hardy.
The Bikeriders premiered at the 50th Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2023. Originally scheduled to be released theatrically in the United States on December 1, 2023, by 20th Century Studios, the release was delayed due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Ultimately, Focus Features acquired the film from producer New Regency, scheduling it for its current release date of June 21, 2024.
Set in the 1960s, it follows the rise of the Vandals MC, a fictional Chicago outlaw motorcycle club. Seen through the lives of its members and their families, the club evolves over the course of a decade from a surrogate family for local outcasts into violent organized crime, threatening the original founder's unique vision and way of life. [3]
In October 2018, Jeff Nichols revealed he had been thinking about making a biker film set in the 1960s for five years, although he did not at that stage have a script, and mentioned the idea on the set of his short film Long Way Back Home to Michael Shannon, who reportedly told him "You've been talking about that damn idea for so long. You're never gonna make that [film]". [4] [5] Nichols wrote the screenplay from his original story idea and began forming the project in 2022. New Regency agreed to produce the film in May 2022. The film is titled after the 1967 Danny Lyon photography book. [6]
It was announced in August 2022 that Nichols would also direct the film, with Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, and Tom Hardy being cast. [3] Michael Shannon, Boyd Holbrook, and Damon Herriman were added to the cast later in the month. [7] That September, Toby Wallace, Emory Cohen, Beau Knapp, Karl Glusman, and Happy Anderson joined the ensemble cast. [8] Norman Reedus and Mike Faist were added to the cast the following month. [9] [10]
Principal photography began in Cincinnati, Ohio in October 2022 and concluded that December. [11] [12]
The Bikeriders premiered as the opening film of the 50th Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2023. [13] [2] It was originally scheduled to be theatrically released on December 1, 2023, by 20th Century Studios, but it was taken off the release schedule due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, which prevented the cast from promoting the film. [14] [15] Following this, on November 20 that year, it was reported New Regency was shopping the film to rival studios and streamers for release instead and only two days later Focus Features acquired global distribution rights to the film, with its parent Universal Pictures distributing internationally. [16] [17] On December 8, it was announced that Focus had scheduled the film for a theatrical release in the United States on June 21, 2024. [18]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 86% of 35 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.7/10. The website's consensus reads: "Fueled by a charismatic cast and the gritty authenticity of writer-director Jeff Nichols' approach, The Bikeriders offers a conventional yet impactful look at motorcycle culture." [19] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 71 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. [20]