Jeff Nichols’ The Bikeriders is searching for a new distributor after having been pulled from Disney’s release schedule.
In October 2023, The Bikeriders — which was originally supposed to release in the United States on December 1, 2023 — was pulled from 20th Century Studios’ (which is owned by The Walt Disney Company) release schedule due to the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strike.
The SAG-AFTRA strike has now ended; however, according to Jeff Sneider of The InSneider, 20th Century Studios no longer has plans to release The Bikeriders. Production company New Regency is now looking for a new distributor and is reportedly open to a streaming release.
Even if The Bikeriders does find a new distributor in the near future, the movie likely still won’t be released in 2023 due to the actors’ schedules and availability for promotional material.
What is The Bikeriders about?
“Kathy (Jodie Comer), a strong-willed member of the Vandals who’s married to a wild, reckless bikerider named Benny (Austin Butler), recounts the Vandals’ evolution over the course of a decade, beginning as a local club of outsiders united by good times, rumbling bikes, and respect for their strong, steady leader Johnny (Tom Hardy),” the synopsis reads. “Over the years, Kathy tries her best to navigate her husband’s untamed nature and his allegiance to Johnny, with whom she feels she must compete for Benny’s attention. As life in the Vandals gets more dangerous, and the club threatens to become a more sinister gang, Kathy, Benny, and Johnny are forced to make choices about their loyalty to the club and to each other.”
Inspired by the 1967 photography book of the same name by Danny Lyon, The Bikeriders is written and directed by Nichols. Along with Comer, Butler, and Hardy, it stars Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Norman Reedus, and Boyd Holbrook, among others.
The Bikeriders premiered at the 50th Telluride Film Festival in August 2023, where it was met with positive reviews.
