Jeff Nichols revved back into filmmaking with the star-studded motorcycle-centric drama “The Bikeriders.”
The critically acclaimed 1960s-set film stars Austin Butler as Benny, a rising leader in biker gang the Vandals who works alongside his mentor Johnny (Tom Hardy). Yet when Benny begins courting Kathy (Jodie Comer), his allegiance to the Vandals wavers. Kathy recounts the Vandals’ evolution over the course of a decade, beginning as a local club of outsiders and later turning into a dangerous crime-driven national effort. Michael Shannon, Boyd Holbrook, and Norman Reedus also star.
The core trio that star in Nichols‘ “The Bikeriders” bring to life the photography in Danny Lyon’s iconic book. Nichols‘ original screenplay is now available to view online, as exclusive to IndieWire.
Read the “The Bikeriders” screenplay here.
“The Bikeriders” marks Nichols’ first film in eight years since 2016’s “Loving.” The feature kicked off the Telluride Film Festival when it was still set to be released December 1, 2023 by New Regency and 20th Century. The film was pulled from the studios’ release calendars due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. “The Bikeriders” later was sold to Focus Features, and landed a new release date in June 2024, more than six months after its initial slated theatrical run.
Butler formerly gushed over “The Bikeriders” co-star Hardy, comparing the actor to Marlon Brando.
Nichols told IndieWire that the ensemble cast would improvise blocking on set to give the script an extra pop. Nichols selected Butler for the lead part after viewing “Elvis”; Butler later credited the indie film “The Bikeriders” for serving as a palette cleanser between his big-budget blockbuster breakouts.
“After the spectacle of ‘Elvis’ and ‘Dune,’ and these characters that were quite different from me, to be able to go to something where — there’s an intimate sensitivity to ‘The Bikeriders,’” Butler told Interview magazine. “It’s the roaring engines and the smell of grease that we got to be around. It was nice to go to something that felt more independent and play in that space for a bit.”
Butler added, “To get to ride motorcycles through Cincinnati, through these cornfields, it was just amazing. You know what that feels like, where the wind is in your hair. You feel like you’re mainlining God.”
Read the “The Bikeriders” screenplay here.
“The Bikeriders” is now streaming on Peacock.
