Posted in: 20th Century Studios, Movies | Tagged: 20th century, 20th century studios, Austin Butler, the bikeriders

The Bikeriders Director: Austin Butler Is "The Most Beautiful Human"

The Bikeriders director Jeff Nichols says that Austin Butler is "the most beautiful human being I’d ever seen."

Published Sun, 05 Nov 2023 17:31:07 -0600

Article Summary

Director Jeff Nichols calls Austin Butler "the most beautiful human being" he's ever seen.
Nichols believes Butler's beauty aids in understanding his character in 'The Bikeriders'.
Nichols is visibly impressed with Butler and the rest of the cast of 'The Bikeriders'.
'The Bikeriders' has been pulled from the release schedule, awaiting new date due to a strike.

We are still waiting to see if and when Disney and 20th Century Studios will add The Bikeriders back to the release schedule and if it will be before the year closes out. It sounds like the strike could be ending sooner rather than later, fingers crossed, so that would be a good step in the right direction for films like this that have already premiered at festivals to get some theatrical release. For now, we are still getting little hints about the movie from promotional interviews that likely happened before the film was pulled from the schedule. One of the said interviews was with director Jeff Nichols with Total Film, where he talked about meeting Austin Butler for the first time, and we thank Jeff for saying what all of us were already thinking: dayum, that is one beautiful human being right there.

"I'm sitting there, and this guy walks up. This tall, blond man who reaches his hand out and says, 'Jeff, good to meetcha…' And I was pretty certain I was seeing the most beautiful human being I'd ever seen," Nichols says. "And it wasn't just fun to meet a pretty person; it was great because this character is who Tom Hardy and Jodie Comer's characters invest everything in. It's the wrong guy to invest in, but they put so much into him, and I didn't want an audience to ever question why. I think as soon as you see Austin on screen, you immediately understand why Kathy or Johnny want so much from him. Because we all do. So that box was checked, and I felt really good about it."

First Look At Austin Butler In 20th Century Studios The Bikeriders — Austin Butler as "Benny" in 20th Century Studios' THE BIKERIDERS. Photo credit: Kyle Kaplan. All Rights Reserved.

Nichols has been gushing about Butler in literally every interview he's had about The Bikeriders, so the young actor must have made quite the impression. While Elvis was a great performance, it wasn't quite the amazing one that it was apparent that Butler had in him just yet, and it would be mindblowing once the right director and script came along and pulled it out of him. It's unclear if The Bikeriders is that performance, but it's always lovely to hear when directors are just enamored with their cast in the best possible way.

The Bikeriders: Cast List, Summary, Release Date

From writer-director Jeff Nichols (Loving, Midnight Special, Mud), 20th Century Studios, and New Regency, The Bikeriders is a furious drama following the rise of a fictional 1960s Midwestern motorcycle club through the lives of its members, starring Jodie Comer (Killing Eve, The Last Duel), Austin Butler (Elvis) and Tom Hardy (Mad Max: Fury Road, The Revenant).

Inspired by Danny Lyon's iconic book of photography, The Bikeriders immerses you in the look, feel, and sounds of the bare-knuckled, grease-covered subculture of '60s motorcycle riders. Kathy (Comer), a strong-willed member of the Vandals who's married to a wild, reckless bikerider named Benny (Butler), recounts the Vandals' evolution over the course of a decade, beginning as a local club of outsiders united by good times, rumbling bikes, and respect for their strong, steady leader Johnny (Hardy). Over the years, Kathy tries her best to navigate her husband's untamed nature and his allegiance to Johnny, with whom she feels she must compete for Benny's attention. As life in the Vandals gets more dangerous, and the club threatens to become a more sinister gang, Kathy, Benny, and Johnny are forced to make choices about their loyalty to the club and to each other.

The cast, most of whom did their own riding on an array of period-correct bikes, also includes Michael Shannon (Bullet Train), Mike Faist (West Side Story), Boyd Holbrook (Logan), and Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead). Sarah Green, p.g.a., Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, p.g.a., and Arnon Milchan are the producers. Yariv Milchan, Michael Schaefer, Sam Hanson, David Kern, and Fred Berger are the executive producers. The Bikeriders currently doesn't have a release date.