The Inspiration Behind Jeff Nichols’ ‘The Bikeriders,’ Explained With Danny Lyon’s Book
21.06.2024 - 00:43
/ deadline.com
Jeff Nichols’ newest film, The Bikeriders, has some true elements to it. Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Jodie Comer, Norman Reedus, Boyd Holbrook, Toby Wallace and more have finally hit the big screen after a new distribution deal and release date postponed the movie’s release in 2023. Butler stars in the film as Benny, a man who loves motorcycles and finds himself drawn to the Chicago Vandals, a club of bikers that frequently gathers to drive around and be in community.
Tom Hardy plays Johnny, founder of the Vandals. Johnny’s righthand man is Brucie (Damon Herriman), but Benny holds his own as a figure of authority within the group. Benny brings Kathy (Jodie Comer) into the group, and she tells a lot of the oral history of the Vandals to Mike Faist’s Danny.
The film has a real-life basis, but large parts are fictionalized. Director Jeff Nichols cites 2003 when his younger brother gave him Danny Lyon’s book The Bikeriders as the root of the project. Read more about the inspiration for the motorcycle movie below.
Is The Bikeriders based on a true story?
Sort of. The film takes its cue from a book by photojournalist Danny Lyon, who captured the culture within the Vandals mostly through photos and anecdotes in his book, which is also titled The Bikeriders. Many of the characters in the film have a foundation in Lyon’s book of photography and stories. There was a Johnny Davis (played by Hardy in the film) and a Benny (Butler) as well as a Kathy Bauer (Jodie Comer) who married Benny.
The audio recording of Kathy recounting how she met Benny is available to play on bleakbeauty.com.
RELATED: ‘The Bikeriders’ Cast and Character Guide: Who Plays Who?
“There’s a photo I gave to every Department Head. It was in the 2003 edition and