The recent release of Jeff Nichols’ The Bikeriders has sparked audience curiosity about the film’s origins. Is it a work of fiction, or does it draw inspiration from the real world of motorcycle clubs? Given the long-standing cultural presence of biker gangs, viewers are eager to understand the impetus behind the film’s plot and whether it stems from a book or real events.
Here is everything you need to know about the movie and its origin.
Is The Bikeriders based on a true story?
According to Deadline, The Bikeriders is partly real and partly fictionalized.
Danny Lyon’s 1968 photo book serves as the primary inspiration for the film. The story of the group in the movie is partly based on a real-life group named the Outlaws MC, which originated in Illinois. Many of the photographs in the film are recreations of actual images from Lyon’s book.
According to The Wrap, the plot is based on stories told by members of the Outlaws and Justice biker clubs. As depicted in the film, the Outlaws biker organization grew swiftly, reaching over 1,400 members by 2014. The Outlaws subsequently turned into a legitimate gang and are now classified as a criminal organization by the United States Department of Justice.
Is The Bikeriders based on a book?
Yes, the movie draws its inspiration from the photo book named The Bikeriders Book by photojournalist Danny Lyon.
Lyon captured the culture of these rapidly growing biker groups through photos and anecdotes in his book. The book derives its stories from audio recordings.
In an interview with Rabbit’s Foot, Lyon explained, “What Jeff did was to structure a fictional film script around the recorded monologues that are the recorded stories of the book.”
In conclusion, both true stories and a book inspired the movie. However, like many films, the team has taken the liberty to add its spin to make it more appealing to its audience.
