Filmmaker Jeff Nichols’ new film “The Bikeriders” is actively shopping for a new distributor after Disney’s 20th Century Studios pulled the movie off the 2023 slate. The 1960s-set drama was scheduled to be released in theaters on Dec. 1, but it was pulled off the schedule on Oct. 17 due to the ongoing actors’ strike and was not immediately given a new date.
New Regency is now looking for a new distributor for the feature, which follows a Chicago motorcycle club and stars Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon and Jodie Comer.
An individual with knowledge of the plans told TheWrap the move to find a new distributor was New Regency-driven, and the film wasn’t dumped by Disney.
“The Bikeriders” had its world premiere as the opening night film at the Telluride Film Festival in August and garnered positive reviews.
20th Century Studios released the New Regency sci-fi film “The Creator” in September, but the blockbuster only grossed a little over $100 million worldwide despite a modest $80 million budget. 20th Century had better success with New Regency’s 2022 horror film “Barbarian,” which quickly became a fan-favorite and grossed $45 million against a $4 million budget. But David O. Russell’s “Amsterdam” fared worse, grossing just $31 million in 2022 despite a star-studded cast.
“The Bikeriders” is Nichols’ first film since his 2016 double-whammy “Midnight Special” and “Loving.”
The news was first reported by Insneider.
