Tom Hardy and Austin Butler are ride-or-die. Focus Features is revving up The Bikeriders with a second trailer for the new crime drama from Mud director Jeff Nichols, offering an extended look at Hardy (Venom) and Butler (Dune: Part Two) as a dynamic duo of rough-riding motorcycle club Vandals. “Some people would rather crash,” Hardy’s Johnny intones in the trailer as he saunters toward a rival bike gang, knife in hand, “than slow down.” Watch the new Bikeriders trailer below.
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Other actors who appear in the 1960s-set trailer include Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) as Kathy — wife of Butler’s Benny, who she fears is riding toward an inevitable death — Michael Shannon (Midnight Special) as Zipco, Mike Faist (Challengers) as Danny Lyon, Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead) as Funny Sonny, and Boyd Holbrook (Logan) as Cal.
The official synopsis: “The Bikeriders follows the rise of a midwestern motorcycle club, the Vandals. Seen through the lives of its members, the club evolves over the course of a decade from a gathering place for local outsiders into a more sinister gang, threatening the original group’s unique way of life.”
Originally set to be distributed by Disney-owned 20th Century Studios, the drama was postponed amid the 2023 actors’ strike after debuting at the Telluride Film Festival. Universal’s Focus Features acquired the rights after Disney dropped The Bikeriders and allowed producers New Regency to shop the film.
“We are delighted to add such a riveting project to next year’s strongslate of films. We look forward to once again working alongside NewRegency and reuniting with the multi-talented Jeff Nichols on anotherone of his visionary projects,” said Focus Features chairman PeterKujawski when announcing the acquisition.
Said New Regency chair-CEO Yariv Milchan: “We are excited to team upagain with our Focus Features partners and look forward to anothersuccessful collaboration. And we couldn’t be prouder of The Bikeriders, Jeff Nichols and all the talent he has brought together to create this truly exceptional film.”
Nichols wrote the script based on Lyon’s 1967 book about Chicago’s Outlaws MC. The Bikeriders opens in theaters June 21.
