Interview:
Jeff Nichols,
writer/director,
"The Bikeriders"
The eight-year drought between films by Austin-based writer/director Jeff Nichols finally comes to end with the long-awaited June 21 release of his new motorcycle period drama, The Bikeriders. Last in theaters with 2016’s Loving, Nichols’ Alien Nation remake fell apart in the aftermath of the 2019 Disney-20th Century Fox merger. He was attached to write and direct A Quiet Place: Day One, but left the filmmaker-for-hire gig to pursue his passion project The Bikeriders. Originally slated for a December 2023 release, The Bikeriders proved to be a victim of last summer’s 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, with distributor 20th Century Studios/Disney first delaying the film due to the unavailability of the cast to promote the film and then allowing production studio New Regency to find a new home for the film at Focus Features. A deep-dive into motorcycle culture of the mid-20th century, The Bikeriders is inspired by photographer Danny Lyon’s 1967 book of the same name about the Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club. Set in the late 1960s and early 1970s, The Bikeriders follows the slow and unexpected expansion of the fictional Vandals from a close-knit, Chicago-area outlaw motorcycle club into a nationwide bikers gang engaging in criminal activity. The film is told from the perspective of Kathy (Jodie Comer), a club outsider who falls for and quickly marries longtime Vandals club member Benny (Austin Butler). Quiet, aloof, but staunchly loyal, Benny is eyed by Vandals founder Johnny (Tom Hardy) to assume leadership of the club when Johnny steps down. But Johnny’s plans are complicated by a new generation of members intent on challenging his authority and transforming the Vandals into more than a motorcycle club. The cast also includes Mike Faist, portraying photographer and author Danny Lyon, Michael Shannon, Boyd Holbrook, Beau Knapp as members of the Vandals, and Norman Reedus as a former Hells Angel. The Bikeriders, which premiered locally at last year’s Austin Film Festival, opened June 21 in theaters. Director Jeff Nichols will attend the 7:15 p.m. June 21 and 4:15 p.m. June 22 showings at the Alamo South Lamar and the 7:30 p.m. June 22 showing at the AFS Cinema. Nichols previously directed Loving, Midnight Special, Mud, Take Shelter, and Shotgun Stories. He is currently adapting Cormac McCarthy's final two novels, “The Passenger” and “Stella Maris.” He also has repurposed his Alien Nation screenplay as an original project that is currently in development at Paramount.
Aired: June 19, 2024. Web sites: https://www.focusfeatures.com/films https://www.facebook.com/bikeridersfilm https://drafthouse.com/austin/event/live-q-a-the-bikeriders https://www.austinfilm.org/screening/the-bikeriders/ |
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