Interviews With the Stars of “The Bikeriders” Movie

The Bikeriders is a film about a midwestern motorcycle club from the 1960s that hits theaters on June 21. The movie was inspired by a book of the same name originally published in 1968, which chronicled the characters and exploits of the Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club as it morphs from a friendly association to a biker gang.

The film adaptation is directed by Jeff Nichols (Loving; Midnight Special; Mud), who also wrote the screenplay over a period of several years. The movie stars Austin Butler (Elvis, Dune: Part 2), Tom Hardy (Mad Max: Fury Road; The Revenant), Norman Reedus (Walking Dead), and Jodie Comer (Killing Eve; The Last Duel).

I’m always dubious about Hollywood’s portrayal of motorcycling, but after watching an advance screening of this new film, I was really impressed with the production values and the acting. Terrific performances throughout, especially from Hardy as the club leader “Johnny” and Comer, the love interest of “Benny” played by Butler. The motorcycles are all period-correct 1960s models, and their authentic sounds literally rumble the theater seats.

The day after watching the movie, I attended a junket hosted by the studio and interviewed the actors listed above, as well as director Nichols. We also caught up with the film’s stunt coordinator, Jeff Milburn, who was featured in the December 2023 issue of American Rider. Milburn is a total bike nut, and he was tasked by Nichols to make sure all the motorcycle elements in the movie were authentic.

Take a look at these interviews to learn about the efforts it took to bring vintage motorcycles to the big screen. And get yourselves to theaters on June 21 to see the film for yourself! Please do us the favor of subscribing to AR’s YouTube channel and “Like” the videos if you like ’em.