Are you a fan of explosive motorcycle dramas? Jeff Nichols’ new film The Bikeriders delves deep into the rough-and-tumble world of 1960s biker gangs. Set against the backdrop of the era’s wild road culture, this movie, starring Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, and Tom Hardy, is gearing up for its grand opening on June 21.
The Bikeriders draws inspiration from the iconic work of photographer Danny Lyon. Known for his impactful images from the Civil Rights Movement, Lyon’s unique approach gave him unparalleled access to the Chicago chapter of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club in the 1960s. From 1963 to 1967, he captured countless photographs and conducted interviews with gang members and their companions. His acclaimed book, The Bikeriders, published in 1968, remains a seminal work in photojournalism.
In anticipation of the film’s release, Insight Editions has also unveiled a new photobook titled Vandals: The Photography of The Bikeriders. This visual companion to the film encompasses stunning images shot by photographers Bryan Schutmaat and Kyle Bono Kaplan. As Schutmaat remarked about their project, I just wanted to do the subject matter justice. The Bikeriders is such a seminal photobook that it would be daunting to try to straight up emulate Danny’s pictures.
The film’s authenticity doesn’t stop at its visual elements. It extends to its cast performances. From Butler’s embodiment of Benny to Hardy’s fierce portrayal of gang leader Johnny, each character feels exceptionally real. Director Nichols spent over a decade perfecting this story and worked intimately with Lyon, who provided invaluable resources like original audio tapes to help actors nail down authentic voice and mannerisms.
Besides its compelling human stories, The Bikeriders captures viewers’ attention with incredible period-accurate Harley-Davidson motorcycles curated by stunt coordinator Jeff Milburn.
A particular highlight comes from Austin Butler discussing how he channeled Elvis Presley’s spirit from his previous role into his character Benny in The Bikeriders: I wasn’t doing a direct impersonation but carried the spirit of Elvis with me and kind of channeled him in untold ways.
Danny Lyon himself was deeply moved by seeing his old friends come to life on screen, stating, I always romanticized them and looked up to many of them. So it makes sense that they should live on in legend and on the silver screen.
The entire experience was brought full-circle when Lyon visited the set and reignited his passion for bikes: It was seeing my old funky Triumph parked on the set and first sitting on it and then kickstarting it with a tremendous roar.
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