“Some people would rather crash than slow down.” So goes the zinger in the latest trailer for Jeff Nichols‘ “The Bikeriders,” which finally hits theaters this summer. Initially slated by Focus Featuers for a December 1, 2023, theatrical release, the SAG-AFTRA strike forced the distributor to push the film to 2024. And that may play into the film’s favor, as one of its stars, Austin Butler, will already be riding high thanks to “Dune: Part Two.”
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Butler leads an all-star cast in “The Bikeriders” that also includes Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy, and Norman Reedus as a young biker who falls in with Hardy’s charismatic biker gang leader outside of 1960s Chicago. But what starts as a band of outsiders soon becomes more dangerous, threatening the club members’ lives.
“The Bikeriders” also stars Mike Faist, Boyd Holbrook, Nichols regular Michael Shannon, Damon Herriman, Beau Knapp, and Karl Glusman.
Nichols writes and directs “The Bikeriders,” as he usually does for his movies. While not based on a real-life biker club, Nichols took inspiration for his film from Danny Lyon‘s 1967 photo-book “The Bikeriders,” which documented the lives of the Outlaws MC, who roamed the country roads outside of Chicago in the ’60s.
“The Bikeriders” had a buzzy world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival last August, making it one of late 2023’s most anticipated releases before Focus removed it from its release calendar. The Playlist’s review says, “Nichols genuinely captures the spirit of this particular era and keeps your attention even if you never gave a second thought to those packs of bike riders passing you on the highway.”
Mark your calendars for June 21: that’s when Nichols’ first film since 2016’s “Loving” hits theaters. Watch the latest trailer for “The Bikeriders” below.