After his Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Elvis Presley, Austin Butler will star in The Bikeriders, Jeff Nichols’ drama about a group of outlaw motorcyclists in 1960s Chicago. When casting the role of Benny, Nichols knew it would be Butler from the minute they met in a Los Angeles restaurant.
“I met him out front, and he walked up and held his hand out, and I just immediately was like, ‘This is the guy,'” Nichols told Josh Horowitz of the Happy Sad Confused podcast.
Nichols mentioned how he needed people to understand why characters would be drawn to Benny. Besides his physical beauty, Nichols believes Butler has a leading man persona. “He’s a movie star in the best sense,” Nichols said. “Sometimes, I think people use that almost as a slight. No, no, no. This guy lights up the rooms that he’s in. I’ve been around a lot of famous people at this point, and he’s got it.”
Who is Involved in The Bikeriders?
Butler stars as Benny, an eccentric member of the Vandals gang. Jodie Comer plays Benny’s strong-minded wife, Kathy, while Tom Hardy stars as Johnny, the Vandals’ leader. Other cast members include Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Boyd Holbrook, Emory Cohen, Beau Knapp, and Norman Reedus. The film is inspired by Danny Lyon’s 1967 photography book of the same name,
“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,” reads the synopsis.
The Bikeriders is written and directed by Nichols. Sarah Green, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, and Arnon Milchan will produce. From 20th Century Studios, The Bikeriders is scheduled to release in theaters on December 1, 2023.
