The Bikeriders: Tom Hardy Mentors Austin Butler In The Thrilling Trailer

The first trailer for The Bikeriders, featuring Austin Butler, Jodie Comer and Tom Hardy, has been unveiled. The film, set in 1960s Chicago, revolves around Benny (played by Butler), a young member of the Vandals biker gang, guided by Hardy’s character Johnny, the gang’s founder and leader. Comer plays Kathy, Benny’s wife and the film’s narrator, who recounts the club’s journey from a rebellious group of outsiders to a dangerous gang. While the film also features stars like Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Boyd Holbrook and Norman Reedus, the first trailer primarily spotlights Butler, Comer and Hardy.

The trailer begins with Kathy, engaging in an interview where she’s asked to start from the beginning. A flashback takes us to the vibrant Chicago of 1965, immersing viewers in the glory days of the Vandals. It’s a time Kathy describes as the “golden age of bike riders.” The trailer also showcases Johnny, discussing the possibility of Benny taking over the club. Meanwhile, Kathy shares her personal journey of falling in love with Benny at first sight, expressing her hopes of shaping him, not into someone different, but someone who’s wild in a unique way.

As the club experiences growth, it starts a number of illegal activities such as drug trafficking, gambling, and prostitution, which begins to overshadow the gang’s original ideas. These developments not only result in Benny’s hospitalization but also trigger a heated confrontation between Johnny and Benny. In the tense moment, Benny questions the club’s transformation and asks, “Is that what this club is now?”.

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The Bikeriders has been inspired by filmmaker and photographer Danny Lyon’s 1968 photobook of the same name. Lyon documented the rise and fall of the actual biker gang, the Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club. In the film, Lyon is portrayed by Mike Faist, playing the role of the young journalist to whom Kathy narrates her intriguing story.

Talking about the film, Austin Butler in an interview with the Los Angeles Times said, “I loved the way Jeff found to look at how people have this need to belong to a community. My character, Benny, would do anything for these guys and sometimes those things aren’t necessarily the best choices. I don’t want to spoil it. But Benny leads with his fists sometimes when he should be putting a little more thought into the possible outcomes of his actions.”

After its premiere at Telluride, The Bikeriders featuring Austin Butler and Tom Hardy, is set to screen at the upcoming London Film Festival next month. The film is scheduled to release worldwide on December 1.