Focus Features has acquired worldwide rights to Jeff Nichols’ The Bikeriders, ending a brief period in which producer New Regency shopped the finished film around to studios. The period crime drama, which premiered at Telluride this autumn, was originally set for an awards-friendly December 1 release by 20th Century Studios, but was pulled from Disney’s calendar last month.
Sources told Variety that it was New Regency’s decision – not Disney’s – to seek a new distributor. The production company also opted to remove The Bikeriders from the Disney calendar because its actors were unable to promote the $40 million film during the SAG-AFTRA strike.
“The Bikeriders” is now targeting a 2024 release. Focus will handle distribution in North America, while Universal Pictures International will handle global rollout.
“We are thrilled to add such a compelling project to next year’s strong slate,” Focus Features chairman Peter Kujawski said in a statement. “We look forward to working with New Regency again and reuniting with the multi-talented Jeff Nichols on another of his visionary projects. This film exemplifies our commitment to working with the best filmmakers and production partners in the industry, and we can’t wait to build on its early success and draw audiences into this poignant film supported by powerful performances from an incredible cast.”
“We are thrilled to reunite with our partners at Focus Features and look forward to another successful collaboration,” said Yariv Milchan, Chairman and CEO of New Regency, in a statement. “And we couldn’t be more proud of ‘The Bikeriders,’ Jeff Nichols and all the talent he has brought together to create this truly extraordinary film.”
Set in the ’60s, The Bikeriders stars Jodie Comer and Austin Butler as a married couple caught up in a wild, greasy biker gang ruled by a hot-blooded leader (Tom Hardy).
The Jeff Nichols film received positive reviews out of the Telluride Film Festival, with Variety chief film critic Peter Debruge among the most enthusiastic, writing, “It goes a long way toward humanising characters who’ve long been misrepresented on film, while giving the audience privileged access to that inner world.
